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MATSON    MEIER-SMITH. 


MATSON  MEIER-SMITH. 


MEMORIES   OF   HIS    LIFE   AND   WORK. 


"To-day  the  warfare  of  the  Cross! 
To-morrow  the  Crown  !  Righteous- 
ness, peace,  and  glory  for  evermore!'1'' 


PRINTED    FOR    PRIVATE    DISTRIBUTION. 


NEW  YORK: 

ANSON   D.  F.  RANDOLPH   &  CO. 
1891. 


Copyright,  1891, 
BY  ANSON  D.  F.  RANDOLPH  &  Co. 


tilir.tif rsttu 
JOHN  WILSON  AND  SON,  CAMBRIDGE. 


mg  Belobrtr  Cfjttoren, 


SHARERS  WITH  ME  IN  THE  INHERITANCE  OF  PRECIOUS 
MEMORIES, 

THIS   VOLUME   IS   TENDERLY  INSCRIBED. 

M.   S.   M-S. 


20124C4 


'  But  still  I  wait  with  ear  and  eye 

For  something  gone  which  should  be  nigh, 

A  loss  in  all  familiar  things. 

In  flower  that  blooms,  and  bird  that  sings. 

And  yet,  dear  heart !  remembering  thee, 

Am  I  not  richer  than  of  old? 
Safe  in  thy  immortality, 

What  change  can  reach  the  wealth  I  hold  ? 

What  chance  can  mar  the  pearl  and  gold 
Thy  love  hath  left  in  trust  with  me  1 
And  while  in  life's  late  afternoon, 

Where  cool  and  long  the  shadows  grow, 
I  walk  to  meet  the  night  that  soon 

Shall  shape  and  shadow  overflow, 
I  cannot  feel  that  thou  art  far, 
Since  near  at  need  the  angels  are; 
And  when  the  sunset  gates  unbar, 

Shall  I  not  see  thee  waiting  stand, 
And,  white  against  the  evening  star, 

The  welcome  of  thy  beckoning  handl" 


PEEFACE. 


THIS  Memorial  of  MATSON  MEIER-SMITH  is  mainly  a 
transcript  of  the  sacred  recollections  of  those  who 
stood  toward  him  in  relations  of  intimacy.  Were  it  pro- 
posed to  prepare  a  more  extensive  and  complete  memoir, 
with  a  view  to  publication,  it  would  be  forbidden  by  the 
knowledge  of  Dr.  Meier-Smith's  strong  conviction,  often 
expressed,  that  unless  a  life  had  been  distinctively  public 
and  prominent,  any  written  record  of  its  events  should  be 
reserved  for  those  whose  personal  affection  would  give  it 
a  peculiar  and  tender  interest. 

Penned  therefore  as  are  these  memories  only  for  loving 
friends,  among  whom,  it  is  believed,  may  be  numbered 
many  of  his  brethren  of  the  clergy,  of  his  former  parish- 
ioners, and  of  his  late  pupils  in  the  Philadelphia  Divinity 
School,  a  freedom  of  expression  is  permitted  upon  the  fol- 
lowing pages  that  would  be  otherwise  forbidden. 

It  would  have  been  gratifying  could  there  have  been 
included  in  them  more  from  Dr.  Meier-Smith's  own  pen, 
but  a  large  proportion  of  such  of  his  letters  as  are  acces- 
sible are  of  a  personal  and  private  character  which  forbids 
extensive  use  of  their  contents. 

It  is  a  compensation  for  such  necessary  omission  that 
this  volume  has  been  prepared  by  the  one  who  stood 
toward  its  subject  in  the  nearest  and  most  sacred  earthly 
relationship,  and  who  bej-ond  all  others  knew  his  spirit, 
his  aims,  and  his  manner  of  life.  Thus  its  recitals  are 


viii  PREFACE. 

peculiarly  dear  and  grateful  to  those  who  stood  within 
the  wide  family  circle  so  long  blessed  by  his  presence, 
and  who,  in  his  departure,  felt  that  they  had  lost  the  most 
generous  of  friends,  the  wisest  of  counsellors,  and  the  most 
tender  and  loving  of  brothers. 

They,  in  common  with  all  who  came  within  his  influence, 
recognized  the  fascination  of  his  manner,  the  dignity  of  his 
bearing,  the  breadth  and  liberality  of  his  thinking,  his  un- 
selfish devotion  to  the  service  of  his  fellow-men  and  his 
loyalty  to  his  divine  Master  ;  but  they  also  knew,  as  others 
could  not,  the  joy  and  the  strength  which  his  presence  im- 
parted to  those  upon  whom,  as  standing  nearest  to  him, 
was  freely  lavished  the  wealth  of  his  rich  affection. 

Too  well  they  know  that  from  their  lives  a  radiance  has 
vanished  never  to  be  rekindled  until  the  day  break  and  the 
shadows  flee  away. 

E.  N.  W. 
MARCH,  1891. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

I.   ANCESTRAL  NOTES 1 

II.   EARLY  YEARS.    1826-1839 12 

III.  COLLEGE  AND  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY.    1839- 

1846 26 

IV.  PROFESSIONAL     WORK     BEFORE     ORDINATION. 

1847-1849 35 

V.   ORDINATION    AND    MARRIAGE.      THE     FIRST 

PARISH.    1849-1850 46 

VI.   BROOKLINE   DAYS.     1851-1854 56 

VII.   BROOKLINE  DAYS.     1855-1859 74 

VIII.   LIFE  IN  BRIDGEPORT.     1859-1863 85 

IX.   LIFE  IN  BRIDGEPORT.     1863-1865 95 

X.   ORDAINED  DEACON  AND  PRIEST  IN  THE  EPISCO- 
PAL CHURCH.     1866 114 

XI.   THE    FIRST    RECTORSHIP;    TRINITY    CHURCH, 

NEWARK.     1866-1868 124 

XII.  THE    FIRST    RECTORSHIP;    TRINITY    CHURCH, 

NEWARK.     1868-1871 135 

XIII.  LETTERS  FROM  EUROPE.    1871 152 

XIV.  WORK  RESUMED.     ST.   LUKE'S,  PHILADELPHIA. 

ST.  GEORGE'S,  NEW  YORK.     1872  ....  185 


x  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

XV.   RECTORSHIP   OF    ST.  JOHN'S   CHURCH,   HART- 
FORD.    1872-1876 189 

XVI.   LIFE   AND   WORK  IN   PHILADELPHIA.      1876- 

1887.    THE  DIVINITY  SCHOOL 213 

XVII.   CHURCH  WORK  AND  CLERICAL  ASSOCIATIONS  231 

XVIII.    HOME  LIFE 241 

XIX.   EVENTIDE.     1887 268 

LETTERS  FROM  FRIENDS 289 

TRIBUTES 297 

SERMONS. 

UNITY  AMID  DIVERSITY 308 

CAST  CARE  UPON  GOD 320 

THE  NEW  HEAVEN  AND  THE  NEW  EARTH      ....  327 

THE  HOLY  COMMUNION 338 

THE  MANY  MANSIONS 347 

VICTORY  THROUGH  TEMPTATION 358 


JHemories  of  life  anti  Mork, 


I. 

ANCESTRAL  NOTES. 

MATSON  MEIER-SMITH  came  of  an  honored 
lineage.  The  blood  of  Puritan  forefathers,  from 
typical  New  England  families,  mingled  equally  in  his 
veins  with  that  of  German  ancestors  of  names  revered 
in  the  Fatherland,  and  in  their  adopted  country. 

To  this  heritage  he  was  loyal,  believing  in  the  bless- 
ings received  from  an  intelligent  and  godly  ancestry. 
The  ties  of  blood  and  kindred  were  very  strong  in  him, 
and  his  response  to  their  claims  always  kindly  and 
hearty.  Physically  and  intellectually  the  influence  of 
heredity  was  distinctly  marked  in  him,  and  no  portrait- 
ure of  him  could  be  life-like  which  did  not  recognize 
this  fact. 

Some  notice  of  those  from  whom  he  was  descended 
seems  therefore  especially  fitting ;  and  happily,  several 
sketches  can  be  given  from  his  own  pen,  as  he  had 
prepared  extended  genealogical  notes  for  his  children. 
He  writes  respecting  those  from  whom  he  received  his 
time -honored  and  homely  patronymic,  "So  far  as  can 
be  ascertained,  the  Smiths  were  always  a  most  respect- 
able family,  with  no  aristocratic  pretensions,  or  quasi 
patents  of  nobility.  They  were  thrifty  and  much  re- 
spected freeholders  and  landowners  of  New  England. 
The  first  ancestor  of  whom  we  have  record  was  Rich- 
ard Smith,  who  settled  in  Lyme,  Connecticut,  in  1652, 
His  descendants  in  direct  line  remained  on  the  old 
1 


2  ANCESTRAL  NOTES. 

homestead,  prominent  men  in  the  community,  and  re- 
spected citizens.  Joseph,  the  fifth  in  succession,  mar- 
ried Mary  Matson,  of  Lyme." 

From  this  well-known  Connecticut  family  came  Dr. 
Meier-Smith's  Christian  name.  Among  men  of  note, 
of  kin  in  the  Matson  line,  were  the  late  Hon.  William 
A.  Buckingham,  Connecticut's  "War-Governor,"  and 
the  Hon.  Morison  R  Waite,  late  Chief- Justice  of  the 
United  States. 

Through  the  Mather  family  are  collateral  connec- 
tions with  many  New  England  families  of  this  historic 
name.  They  are  descended  from  Eev.  Eichard  Mather, 
born  in  Lowton,  England,  in  1596.  Educated  at  the 
University  of  Oxford,  he  became  a  clergyman  of  the 
Church  of  England ;  but  was  suspended  for  non-con- 
formity, and  came  to  this  country  in  1635,  settling  in 
Boston.  He  was  the  first  of  the  family  of  Congrega- 
tional ministers  known  as  the  "  Mather  dynasty,"  and 
was  the  father  of  Increase  and  the  grandfather  of  Cotton 
Mather.  He  was  selected  to  answer  the  thirty-two 
questions  in  regard  to  Church  government,  propounded 
to  the  New  England  ministers  by  the  Magistrates,  in 
1639,  and  was  the  chief  designer  of  the  "Cambridge 
Platform,"  adopted  by  the  New  England  Synod  of 
1648.  He  had  six  sons,  all  but  one  of  whom  were 
clergymen.  Timothy,  his  second  son,  was  the  ances- 
tor of  Dr.  Samuel  Mather,  of  Lyme,  who  was  the  last 
of  seven  in  succession,  all  of  whom  were  clergymen 
or  physicians.  Dr.  Mather  was  a  man  of  much  dis- 
tinction in  his  profession. 

Matson  Smith,  the  son  of  Joseph  Smith  and  Mary 
Matson,  was  born  in  Lyme,  Connecticut,  Feb.  9,  1767. 
He  studied  medicine  with  Dr.  Mather,  whose  daughter 
Sarah  he  married.  They  were  Dr.  Meier-Smith's  pa- 


ANCESTRAL  NOTES.  3 

ternal  grandparents.  Of  this  grandfather  he  writes: 
"  Dr.  Matson  Smith  settled  in  New  Eochelle,  New  York, 
about  the  year  1788.  He  was  a  man  of  strong  person- 
ality, of  tall  and  powerful  frame,  with  marked  features 
and  commanding  presence,  and  of  grave  and  dignified 
manner.  He  possessed  the  physician's  instinct  and  the 
surgeon's  instinct,  in  equal  balance.  He  was  the  lead- 
ing man  in  his  neighborhood,  and  prominent  among  the 
physicians  of  Westchester  County.  His  home  was  a 
most  hospitable  one,  a  favorite  resort  of  friends  and 
clergymen  from  New  England  and  New  York.  He  was 
thoroughly  well  read,  and  always  abreast  of  the  time 
in  the  literature  of  his  profession.  He  was  a  student 
of  the  Bible  and  theology,  and  quite  eminent  among 
laymen  for  his  knowledge  in  this  direction,  as  well  as 
for  his  religious  character.  In  1830  he  received  an 
honorary  M.  D.  from  the  Eegents  of  the  University  of 
the  State  of  New  York.  His  chosen  home,  New 
Rochelle,  one  of  the  early  Huguenot  settlements,  be- 
came very  dear  to  him  in  all  its  interests.  He  was 
one  of  the  founders  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  there, 
a  ruling  elder,  and  frequently  a  delegate  to  the  General 
Assembly.  In  all  matters  of  public  interest  he  was  very 
influential,  and  contributed  liberally  to  everything  for 
the  prosperity  of  the  place.  He  died  March  17,  1845. 

"  Dr.  Matson  Smith  had  a  large  family ;  seven  chil- 
dren survived  him.  His  eldest  son,  Joseph  Mather 
Smith,  M.  D.,  was  a  distinguished  physician,  practis- 
ing in  New  York  for  many  years,  and  Professor  of 
the  Theory  and  Practice  of  Medicine  in  the  College 
of  Physicians  and  Surgeons.  Afterward,  under  the 
University  organization  of  Columbia  College,  he  be- 
came Professor  of  Materia  Medica.  He  died  in  the 
year  1866,  in  the  seventy-eighth  year  of  his  age." 


4  ANCESTRAL  NOTES. 

Dr.  Meier-Smith's  maternal  ancestry  was  purely 
German.  His  grandfather's  family,  from  whom  came 
his  second  Christian  name,  used  in  all  his  later  years 
as  a  prefix  to  his  surname,  is  traced  in  unbroken  line 
from  about  the  year  1490.  It  has  been  to  the  present 
generation  honorable  in  the  annals  of  the  free  city  of 
Bremen.  Dr.  Meier-Smith's  grandfather  was  Caspar 
Meier,  son  of  Diederich  Meier,  "Doctor  and  Burgo- 
master "  in  Bremen.  He  was  born  in  Bremen,  Sept.  20, 
1774,  and  came  to  New  York  about  the  year  1800. 
He  was  Consul  of  the  Bremen  Eepublic,  and  founded 
the  business  house  of  Caspar  Meier  &  Co.  His  place 
of  business  for  many  years  was  in  Broad  Street,  New 
York.  The  successors  of  this  house  are  the  well-known 
firm  of  Oelrichs  &  Co.,  in  which,  to-day,  some  of  the 
leading  partners  are  his  grandson  and  great-grandsons. 

Mr.  Meier's  family  mansion  was  beautifully  situated 
on  the  high  bank  of  the  Hudson  at  Bloomingdale,  com- 
manding a  noble  view  of  the  river.  He  was  a  man  of 
gentle  and  unobtrusive  manner,  and  much  sweetness 
of  character.  His  grandson  remembered  him  with  pe- 
culiar affection,  his  home  life  being  singularly  attractive. 
He  entertained  extensively,  though  unostentatiously ; 
and  as  a  Christian  man,  and  upright  citizen,  he  was  held 
in  high  regard  in  the  community.  In  many  traits  of 
character  his  grandson  strongly  resembled  him.  Brought 
up  in  the  German  Reformed  Communion,  he  became 
an  elder  in  the  Dutch  Reformed  Church  at  Manhattan- 
ville.  He  married,  in  1801,  Eliza  Katharine,  daughter 
of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Kunze.  They  had  eight  children,  of 
whom  only  four  reached  maturity.  Mr.  Meier  died 
Feb.  2,  1839. 

Through  his  grandmother,  Dr.  Meier-Smith  was  de- 
scended from  the  Patriarch  of  the  Lutheran  Church 


ANCESTRAL  NOTES.  5 

in  America,  Henry  Melchior  Muhlenberg,  who  was 
born  in  Einbeck,  Germany,  Sept.  6,  1711,  came  to 
this  country  in  1742,  and  died  at  New  Providence, 
Pennsylvania,  in  1787.  The  one  hundredth  anniver- 
sary of  his  death  was  celebrated  in  Philadelphia  in 
commemoration  of  his  great  services  to  the  Lutheran 
Church.  "Dr.  Muhlenberg's  great  energy  and  execu- 
tive ability  were  combined  with  extensive  learning. 
He  was  a  finished  scholar  in  Hebrew  and  Greek,  almost 
as  familiar  with  Latin  as  with  German,  and  fluent  in 
the  English,  Dutch,  French,  Bohemian,  and  Swedish 
tongues.  He  was  a  fine  musician,  and  performed  upon 
the  organ,  harp,  guitar,  and  violin.  He  travelled  ex- 
tensively in  the  advancement  and  oversight  of  his 
Church,  founding  and  strengthening  the  Lutheran  con- 
gregations. He  resided  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia. 
He  married,  in  1745,  Anna  Maria,  daughter  of  Conrad 
Weiser,  mentioned  frequently  in  our  Colonial  annals  as 
an  Indian  interpreter,  agent,  magistrate,"  etc.  Dr.  Muh- 
lenberg was  the  father  of  eleven  children.  The  three 
sons  who  survived  him  were  all  men  of  distinction  in 
Church  and  State,  —  honorable  among  the  many  hon- 
ored names  connected  with  the  days  of  the  Revolution, 
and  the  founding  of  the  Republic.  John  Peter  Gabriel, 
the  eldest,  took  orders  in  both  the  Lutheran  and  the 
English  churches,  and  was  pastor  of  several  mission 
congregations  in  the  valley  of  the  Blue  Ridge  in  Vir- 
ginia. The  story  is  told  of  him,  that  after  having 
received  a  colonel's  commission  in  the  Revolutionary 
army,  lie  conducted  services  in  his  church;  and  during 
the  sermon,  at  the  close  of  a  patriotic  appeal,  threw 
off  his  gown  and  bands  and  appeared  in  full  uniform, 
ordering  the  drum  to  beat  for  recruits  at  the  church 
door.  Three  hundred  hardy  frontiersmen  enlisted 


6  ANCESTRAL  NOTES. 

under  his  banner  that  day.  He  was  a  distinguished 
officer  throughout  the  war,  rising  to  the  rank  of  Major- 
General,  and  afterward  served  in  both  houses  of  the 
Federal  Congress. 

The  second  son,  Frederick  Augustus,  also  a  clergy- 
man, was  a  member  of  the  first  Continental  Congress, 
and  Speaker  of  the  House  in  the  first,  second,  and 
third  Federal  Congresses. 

Dr.  Muhlenberg's  daughter,  Margaretta  Henrietta, 
was  born  in  1751,  and  in  1771  was  married  to  Rev. 
Dr.  John  Christopher  Kunze,  who  was  born  in  Mans- 
feld,  Saxony,  Aug.  5,  1744,  and  died  in  New  York, 
July  24,  1807.  He  came  to  Philadelphia  in  1770,  and 
became  pastor  of  St.  Michael's  and  Zion  Churches, 
Philadelphia.  He  was  also  a  Professor  in  the  Univer- 
sity of  Pennsylvania,  but  in  1784  removed  to  New 
York.  He  was  a  Regent  of  the  University  of  the 
State  of  New  York,  and  one  of  its  founders,  and  also 
Professor  of  Oriental  Languages  in  King's  (afterward 
Columbia)  College.  Dr.  Meier-Smith  writes  of  his 
great-grandfather:  "Dr.  Kunze  was  regarded  as  one 
of  the  most  learned  men  of  his  age.  He  was  the 
leading  Oriental  scholar  in  America,  a  man  of  much 
mathematical  proficiency,  and  an  astronomer.  In  the- 
ology he  was  pietistic  and  supra-naturalistic.  Dr. 
Kunze  was  quite  a  numismatologist,  and  his  valuable 
collection  of  coins  was  presented,  after  his  death,  to 
the  New  York  Historical  Society.  Among  my  own 
papers  are  some  manuscript  letters  and  parts  of  lec- 
tures to  students,  in  Hebrew.  An  old  diary,  kept  in 
Latin,  has  some  amusing  and  pathetic  entries  illustra- 
tive of  his  simple  piety  and  domestic  sweetness."  He 
had  seven  children.  Mrs.  Kunze,  conspicuous  among 
the  many  women  in  whom  the  stirring  times  developed 


ANCESTRAL  NOTES.  7 

vigorous  and  superior  traits  of  character,  was  a  leader 
in  social  and  religious  circles  in  New  York.  Her  great- 
grandson  writes:  "Mrs.  Kunze  I  remember  distinctly 
as  a  very  remarkable  woman,  even  in  old  age,  and  one 
particularly  attractive  to  my  childish  fancy." 

"  Eliza  Katharine,  the  eldest  daughter  of  Dr.  Kunze, 
was  born  Oct.  9,  1776,  and  became  the  wife  of  Caspar 
Meier.  She  was  an  intellectual  woman  of  elegant  pres- 
ence,—  a  gentlewoman  of  the  old  school.  For  the  last 
thirty  years  of  her  life,  she  bore  with  great  sweetness 
and  courage  the  affliction  of  total  blindness.  She  sur- 
vived her  husband  many  years,  and  died  Jan.  29,  1863, 
at  the  residence  of  her  son-in-law,  Dr.  Albert  Smith." 

From  the  biographical  notes  left  by  Dr.  Meier-Smith 
are  given  the  following  sketches  of  his  parents.  "  My 
father,  Albert  Smith,  M.  D.,  was  born  at  New  Kochelle, 
Westchester  County,  New  York,  March  28,  1798.  He 
was  born  on  the  place  where  he  died  in  advanced  years, 
and  probably  within  a  few  feet  of  the  spot  where  his  bed 
of  death  stood.  He  was  educated  at  the  well  known 
Academy  of  Colchester,  Connecticut.  He  studied  med- 
icine with  his  brother,  Dr.  Joseph  Mather  Smith,  and 
at  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  in  New  York, 
where  he  graduated  Doctor  of  Medicine  in  1820.  He 
began  at  once  to  practise  medicine  in  Manhattanville, 
in  the  upper  part  of  the  city  limits,  on  the  North  Eiver 
side  of  Manhattan  Island.  He  was  resident  physician 
of  the  Bloomingdale  Insane  Asylum  for  about  two  years. 
Here  he  instituted  reforms  and  amelioration  in  the  treat- 
ment of  the  insane,  novel  then,  though  generally  accepted 
now. 

"The  residence  of  Caspar  Meier,  Esq.,  was  nearly 
opposite,  and  on  one  occasion  a  party  of  ladies  from  his 
house  visited  the  asylum,  and  under  the  guidance  of  the 


8  ANCESTRAL  NOTES. 

young  doctor  ascended  to  the  cupola  to  enjoy  the  view. 
Here  my  father  was  first  introduced  to  my  mother. 
Thereafter  he  was  a  frequent  guest  at  Mr.  Meier's  hos- 
pitable home,  and  married  his  daughter,  Emily  Maria, 
May  3,  1825. 

"  After  his  marriage  he  removed  to  the  '  Bradish  Man- 
sion,' on  the  east  side  of  Manhattan  Island,  and  com- 
menced general  practice  in  Harlem.  In  1830  he  went  to 
New  York,  living  in  Bleecker  Street  for  ten  years,  and 
then  in  Green  Street,  near  Clinton  Place.  In  1846,  after 
the  death  of  his  father,  he  purchased  the  family  home- 
stead and  farm  at  New  Kochelle,  and  removed  thither, 
building  a  new  house  on  the  site  of  the  old  one,  which 
was  moved  a  few  rods,  and  is  still  standing.  He  relin- 
quished a  large  and  successful  family  practice  by  this 
change,  the  reasons  for  making  it  being  a  somewhat  pre- 
carious state  of  health,  and  the  cares  and  responsibilities 
thrown  upon  him  as  surviving  executor  for  the  estates  of 
his  father-in-law,  Mr.  Meier,  and  his  brother-in-law,  Mr. 
von  Post.  He  continued  to  aid  his  professional  breth- 
ren in  consultation,  and  gave  his  services  to  those  who 
were  unable  to  pay  for  medical  attendance.  Some  old 
families  and  personal  friends  insisted  more  or  less  upon 
his  supervision  until  his  extreme  old  age.  He  was  a 
man  of  great  activity,  and  interested  himself  extensively 
in  public  affairs,  especially  as  a  member  of  the  Board  of 
Education  at  New  Eochella  He  gave  a  large  piece  of 
fine  woodland  for  a  rural  cemetery,  and  expended  upon 
it  much  time,  thought,  and  money.  He  took  great  inter- 
est in  the  erection  of  a  stone  edifice  for  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  bought  and  removed  the  old  frame  building 
which  his  father  had  helped  to  build,  and  altered  it 
into  a  comfortable  parsonage,  which  he  presented  to  the 
church.  He  erected  a  transept  to  the  church  at  his  own 


ANCESTRAL  NOTES.  9 

expense,  and  by  his  gifts  and  much  secular  superinten- 
dence attested  his  liberal  spirit  and  enlightened  percep- 
tion of  religious  duty.  For  several  years  he  passed  the 
winter  months  at  the  home  of  his  daughter,  the  wife  of 
Robert  Jaffray,  Esq.,  in  the  city  of  New  York ;  but  for 
the  last  two  years  of  his  life  he  remained  entirely  at  his 
home  at  New  Rochelle.  He  suffered  much  from  malarial 
dyspepsia  and  weakness  of  the  heart  for  several  years 
before  his  death,  and  during  his  last  days  was  greatly 
dependent  upon  the  devoted  care  of  his  friend,  the  over- 
seer of  his  farm,  Mr.  John  G.  Eoss,  who  watched  and 
nursed  him  with  almost  filial  care.  He  died  Feb.  19, 
1884,  in  the  eighty-seventh  year  of  his  age. 

"My  father  was  an  example  of  great  liberality,  as 
well  as  of  great  economy  and  thrift.  He  began  his  pro- 
fessional life  in  entire  dependence  upon  his  own  indus- 
try for  bread  and  butter.  His  practice  in  New  York 
was  modestly  remunerative,  though  a  very  extended 
work.  It  was  the  day  when  from  one  to  three  dollars 
were  the  ordinary  and  extreme  charges  for  medical  visits. 
His  generous  delicacy  forbade  any  pressure  upon  those 
who  found  it  difficult  to  pay  him,  or  even  upon  such  as 
were  simply  careless.  Though  entirely  unused  to  finan- 
cial responsibility,  the  executorship  of  the  estates  before 
referred  to  threw  upon  him  a  heavy  burden  of  study 
and  work.  He  rose  to  the  business  finely,  and  managed 
with  such  discretion  and  fidelity,  that,  at  the  expiration 
of  his  trust,  the  estates  were  largely  increased  in  value, 
in  spite  of  losses  by  fire  and  general  commercial  disas- 
ters. He  lived  simply  and  without  ostentation.  He 
gave  freely  to  his  children,  and  to  friends  in  needy  cir- 
cumstances. His  gifts  in  these  directions  and  to  various 
benevolent  purposes,  as  well  as  to  the  church,  amounted 
to  a  very  large  sum  in  the  later  years  of  his  life.  He 


10  ANCESTRAL  NOTES. 

was  a  man  of  great  modesty  and  reticence  in  regard  to 
his  religious  life,  but  of  humble  and  devout  piety,  and 
his  diaries  and  letters  for  many  years  before  his  death 
evince  deep  religious  feeling  and  consecration.  Upon 
the  monument  erected  by  his  descendants  in  Beech  wood 
Cemetery  are  the  words  which  his  son  thought  pecu- 
liarly expressive  of  his  experience  during  the  last  years 
of  his  weakness  and  seclusion  from  old  age,  '  Looking 
for  that  blessed  hope.' 

"  My  mother,  Emily  Maria,  the  third  child  of  Caspar 
Meier  and  Eliza  Katharine  Kunze,  was  born  in  New 
York,  April  20,  1806.  She  received  an  excellent  edu- 
cation in  the  French  school  of  Madame  Chegary,  dear 
to  the  memories  of  many  of  the  daughters  of  old  New 
York.  She  was  married  at  the  age  of  nineteen.  My 
mother  was  a  woman  of  superior  education  for  the  day, 
possessed  of  keen  mind,  well  read  iu  history  and  choice 
literature,  and  thoroughly  at  home  in  the  French  lan- 
guage, in  which  she  read  and  spoke  fluently  throughout 
her  life.  It  was  an  unheard-of  thing  that  she  could 
make  a  grammatical  mistake  in  either  English  or  French. 
She  was  in  youth  and  health  very  attractive  in  personal 
appearance.  Her  resemblance  to  some  of  the  best- 
known  Madonnas  of  the  German  School  of  painting  was 
often  remarked.  She  was  a  woman  of  great  religiosity. 
Under  mediaeval  environment  she  would  have  been  a 
saint.  A  saintly  beauty  became  her  well.  Trained  by 
her  Lutheran  mother,  in  her  childhood  she  attended 
either  the  Episcopal  or  Dutch  Church;  but  after  her 
marriage  she  became  a  Presbyterian,  as  my  father  was. 
In  the  winter  of  1831-32,  a  great  religious  interest  per- 
vaded the  Presbyterian  Communion  in  New  York.  The 
preaching  was  of  a  character  to  alarm  the  careless,  and, 
what  was  less  desirable,  to  excite  the  most  conscien- 


ANCESTRAL  NOTES.  11 

tious  and  delicately  balanced  minds  beyond  proper 
bounds.  From  this  cause  it  was,  I  presume,  that  my 
mother  became  almost  morbid  in  her  religious  experi- 
ence, and  suffered  much  disturbance  for  two  or  three 
years.  A  few  years  later,  while  I  was  in  college,  she 
suffered  for  some  months  from  a  most  painful  depres- 
sion, which  my  father  traced  to  physical  causes.  After 
her  recovery  from  this  experience,  she  had  no  further 
recurrence  of  the  trouble.  Her  Christian  life  was 
thereafter  bright  and  happy.  She  was  a  devout  wor- 
shipper in  church,  a  devout  woman  in  private  prayer, 
and  a  great  student  of  the  Bible.  '  A  perfect  concord- 
ance,' was  the  family  saying,  significant  of  her  constant 
study  and  extensive  memory  of  the  Scriptures.  She 
was  devoted  to  every  good  word  and  work,  her  only 
limitations  being  her  health  and  strength.  She  suffered 
greatly  from  malarial  headaches  for  many  years  of  her 
life.  A  few  years  before  her  death  she  fell  in  her  bed- 
room and  broke  her  hip,  remaining  a  cripple  for  the  rest 
of  her  life.  Though  entirely  secluded  from  this  cause, 
she  in  some  manner  contracted  varioloid  at  a  time  when 
small-pox  was  prevalent  in  New  York,  and  fell  a  victim 
to  the  disease  after  only  two  days'  illness.  She  died 
March  21,  1872."  Dr.  Meier-Smith  believed  that  he 
owed  a  great  deal  to  the  influence  of  his  mother's  strong 
and  beautiful  character,  and  he  gave  her  in  return  the 
most  filial  and  affectionate  devotion. 


II. 

EARLY  YEARS. 

1826-1839. 

OUR  converging  lines  have  now  brought  us  to  the 
subject  of  this  memoir.  The  city  of  New  York 
was  his  birthplace.  There  are  some  now  living  who 
can  recall  the  New  York  of  sixty  years  ago,  and  who 
dwell  with  some  fondness  upon  the  picture.  We  may 
linger  over  it  a  moment  as  he  loved  to  do.  Those  were 
days  when  it  was  but  an  easy  walk  to  reach  the  rural 
suburbs  from  the  heart  of  the  city ;  when  Union  Square 
was  almost  "out  of  town";  when  the  broad  houses  of 
the  wealthier  citizens  surrounded  the  Bowling  Green 
and  St.  John's  Park ;  when  the  Battery  was  a  favorite 
promenade  and  the  safe  resort  of  nurses  and  children ; 
and  when  one  might  meet,  of  a  summer  afternoon  on 
the  hills  of  Hoboken,  the  well-to-do  house-father  and 
his  family.  "Rapid  transit"  was  secured  to  the  satis- 
faction of  the  younger  business  men  who  had  ventured 
to  make  their  homes  as  far  "  up  town  "  as  Bond  Street, 
by  an  hourly  omnibus  from  Wall  Street  to  Bleecker 
Street!  Though  the  metropolitan  policeman  was  un- 
known, peace  and  security  were  ensured  to  the  belated 
wayfarer  when  he  met  the  sturdy  watchman  in  triple- 
caped  overcoat  going  his  rounds  with  the  hourly  "  All 's 
well."  The  last  of  those  good  primitive  days  passed 
with  the  early  boyhood  of  Matson  Meier-Smith.  Before 


EARLY  YEARS.  13 

he  was  ten  years  old,  his  native  city  began  to  take  to 
herself  metropolitan  airs ;  but  Dr.  Meier-Smith  loved  to 
tell  his  children  that  he  could  remember  when  New 
York  was  scarcely  more  than  a  "big  village." 

The  banks  of  the  Hudson,  and  of  the  East  River 
above  Thirtieth  Street,  were  lined  with  the  country 
seats  of  those  who  were  able  to  remove  from  their  city 
residences  in  the  summer,  or  who  preferred  to  make  the 
beautiful  suburbs  their  homes  for  the  entire  year.  In 
Harlem,  then  a  fast  growing  and  attractive  village,  very 
near  the  river  stood  the  Bradish  Mansion,  a  fine  old 
villa,  rented  in  the  absence  of  its  owners ;  and  here,  on 
the  4th  of  April,  1826,  Matson  Meier,  the  first  child  and 
only  son  of  Dr.  Albert  Smith  and  Emily  Maria  Meier, 
was  born. 

The  introduction  to  Dr.  Meier-Smith's  book  of  gene- 
alogical records,  from  which  we  have  made  extracts, 
contains  these  words :  "  This  book  is  for  my  children. 
Two  God  has  given  me.  With  a  father's  love  I  shall 
give  or  bequeath  these  pages  to  them,  containing  in 
various  forms  records  of  family  affairs,  observations, 
thoughts,  and  hints.  It  is  not  a  journal,  and  yet  may 
subserve  the  purpose  of  one  in  some  respects.  It  is 
not  an  autobiography,  yet  I  shall  give  a  little  sketch 
of  my  life  so  far,  and  not  fail  to  chronicle  any  grave 
changes  which  may  hereafter  occur.  It  is  intended  to 
be  a  book  of  familiar  conversation  with  you,  my  dar- 
lings, undertaken  in  the  hope  that  the  Covenant  God, 
whose  you  are,  may  spare  you  to  mature  life  in  this 
world,  and  in  the  persuasion  that  the  jottings  down  of 
experiences  and  incidents  may  prove  not  valueless,  even 
when  the  hand  that  penned  them  is  mouldering  in  the 
grave.  I  do  not  approve  of  the  style  of  journalism  so 
often  exhibited,  in  which  the  inmost  heart  is  laid  open, 


14  EARLY  YEARS. 

and  most  sacred  experiences  paraded  before  the  public 
eye.  But  my  children  may  be  admitted  at  times  within 
a  circle  whither  the  world  may  not  tread ;  and  should 
they  in  these  pages  find  themselves  occasionally  intro- 
duced within  such  a  precinct,  they  will  appreciate  the 
spirit  in  which  they  are  welcomed  thither. 

"  This  book  is  undertaken  in  the  days  of  your  infancy, 
my  darlings,  while  you  are  my  little  lambs,  and  I  am 
scarcely  more  than  a  stripling.  It  might  be  wiser  for 
me  to  wait  until  mature  age  brought  me  greater  wis- 
dom before  indulging  in  an  experiment  like  this.  But 
length  of  days  may  not  be  mine;  and  lest  I  be  re- 
moved early,  I  will  not  tarry,  but  one  tribute  at  least 
of  your  father's  love  you  shall  have.  Some  things,  too, 
perhaps  I  can  better  say  while  in  the  vigor  of  my 
youth,  and  with  a  strong  and  lively  sympathy  with 
you  in  your  childhood  and  your  incipient  youth." 

From  this  loving  introduction  it  is  seen  that  the 
writer  intended  to  record  reminiscences  of  his  early  life, 
after  the  ancestral  sketches  which  immediately  follow. 
The  fulfilment  of  this  good  purpose  was  constantly 
postponed,  and  of  his  own  story  nothing  is  recorded. 
That  it  remained  a  purpose,  and  would  have  been  ful- 
filled but  for  the  pressure  of  work  and  the  failing 
strength  of  the  last  few  years,  is  certain,  for  he  often 
referred  to  it,  and  with  the  promise  that  in  a  year  or 
two  more,  if  he  did  not  feel  more  vigorous,  he  would  lay 
aside  other  writing  and  study,  and  record  the  story  of 
his  own  life  for  his  descendants. 

The  childhood  of  Dr.  Meier-Smith  was  uneventful. 
Life  was  more  monotonous  then,  even  for  the  children, 
than  in  our  own  fast  moving  day,  when  the  little  folk 
share  in  the  excitements  of  their  elders,  and  find  it 
equally  hard  to  live  without  them.  "My  boyhood 


EARLY   YEARS.  15 

seems  to  me  a  jog-trot,"  he  said,  "compared  to  the  gal- 
lop of  the  boy  of  the  period."  He  was  a  vigorous  child, 
with  bright,  quick  perceptions,  gifted  with  a  keen  sense 
of  humor,  affectionate  and  generous,  and  very  sensitive 
to  praise  or  blame.  Though  baptized  in  the  Dutch 
Church,  he  was  early  familiar  with  the  Book  of  Com- 
mon Prayer,  always  dear  to  his  mother;  and  at  her  knee 
he  learned  the  Church  Catechism  and  to  read  well  in  the 
Bible  before  he  was  four  years  old.  The  fear  of  stimu- 
lating the  brain  by  early  pressure  seems  hardly  to  have 
occurred  to  parents  or  teachers  then,  and  in  the  little 
Matson's  case,  as  in  many  others  of  his  generation,  we 
are  startled  to  know  that  at  five  years  of  age  he  was 
studying  English  and  French  grammar,  and  that  before 
he  was  eight  he  commenced  Latin.  When  expressing 
his  strong  disapproval  of  giving  such  tasks  to  children 
so  young,  he  would  add :  "  So  far  as  I  can  see,  how- 
ever, one  little  boy  was  none  the  worse  for  it." 

When  Matson  was  four  years  old  his  parents  removed 
to  the  city,  and  lived  for  five  years  on  Bleecker  Street, 
east  of,  and  within  two  blocks  of  Broadway.  A  little 
later  his  school  life  commenced  at  the  Washington  In- 
stitute, under  the  care  of  Rev.  J.  D.  Wickharn.1  The 
school  held  two  sessions,  but  he,  with  many  little  boys, 
remained  through  the  recess,  the  distance  being  so  great 
from  their  homes.  A  luncheon  table  crowned  with  a 
pudding  was  spread  for  the  "  good  boys,"  and  a  breacl- 
and-water  table  for  those  in  disgrace.  At  the  latter, 
the  mischief-loving  propensities  of  the  little  boy  caused 
him  not  unfrequently  to  be  found  —  never,  he  averred, 
for  faulty  lessons,  for  he  was  quick  to  learn,  and  had  such 
a  retentive  memory  that  he  was  easily  first  in  his  classes. 

1  The  Rev.  J.  D.  Wickham  is  living  at  this  date,  and  is  the  oldest 
living  graduate  of  Yale  College. 


16  EARLY  YEARS. 

Among  the  older  boys  then  at  this  school  was  one  to 
whom  by  marriage  Dr.  Meier-Smith  became  kinsman, 
and  who,  as  the  beloved  Bishop  of  Western  New  York, 
was  ever  a  dear  and  honored  friend.  A  few  years  ago 
Bishop  Coxe  was  a  guest  at  Dr.  Meier-Smith's  table,  and 
as  recollections  of  school-days  were  revived,  the  incident 
was  recalled  of  an  ambitious  attempt  of  the  older  boys 
to  produce  the  play  of  "  Hamlet."  The  more  important 
part  in  which  the  brilliant  young  senior  appeared  had 
been  fojgotten  by  his  admiring  junior,  but  the  awe- 
inspiring  appearance  he  presented  as  the  "ghost"  was 
vividly  depicted  to  the  amusement  of  host  and  guest. 

When  a  little  older,  Matson  attended  another  pri- 
vate school,  conducted  by  Mr.  Nash  and  Mr.  Mann, 
where  he  received  from  an  Irishman  (who  was  a  genius 
in  his  way)  an  admirable  drilling  in  the  rudiments  of 
Latin,  for  which  he  was  always  grateful.  He  also  com- 
menced Greek  here  at  the  age  of  ten.  Later,  he  went 
to  the  University  Grammar  School,  and  there  was  fitted 
for  college. 

The  chief  enjoyments  of  his  childhood  were  found  in 
his  visits  to  his  grandparents.  The  beautiful  home  of 
his  grandfather  Meier  was  very  dear  to  him.  Probably 
the  happiest  days  of  his  boyhood  were  passed  there, 
where  his  frequent  companion  was  his  cousin,  Hermann 
von  Post,  who  was  a  little  younger  than  himself.  His 
grandfather  was  very  fond  of  him,  and  proud  of  his  bright 
and  ready  intelligence.  He  often  made  him  his  com- 
panion in  his  daily  journeys  to  and  from  Bloomingdale 
to  his  office,  with  the  fast  horse  he  loved  to  drive ;  and 
we  can  readily  believe  that  these  drives  with  the  genial 
German  grandfather  were  a  great  delight  to  the  boy. 

The  river  was  an  endless  source  of  amusement,  and 
here  Matson  learned  to  row,  swim,  and  skate.  His 


EARLY  YEARS.  17 

grandfather  gave  him  a  donkey-cart ;  and  among  his 
reminiscences  was  the  pride  he  felt  when  he  persuaded 
a  venerable  lady,  the  widow  of  General  Alexander  Ham- 
ilton, to  seat  herself  in  his  cart,  and  allow  him  to  drive 
her  up  the  hill  which  led  to  her  mansion. 

A  great  treat,  now  and  then,  was  a  visit  to  one  of 
the  vessels  consigned  to  his  grandfather's  firm,  when 
the  boy  was  made  much  of  by  the  kindly  German  offi- 
cers, and  treated  to  the  best  the  steward  could  offer, 
with  sometimes  a  glass  of  beer  or  a  sip  of  wine  in  which 
to  toast  the  Fatherland. 

Christmas  was  a  time  of  great  joy  and  of  happiness 
such  as  boys  and  girls  hardly  know  now,  when  a  wealth 
of  books,  and  toys,  and  luxuries  are  scattered  through- 
out the  year,  and  Christmas  is  only  a  little  "  merrier  " 
than  other  holidays.  But  it  was  the  one  day  in  the 
year  for  the  children  in  the  families  where  it  was  ob- 
served, though  they  were  a  minority  in  New  York ;  for 
between  those  of  New  England  descent,  who  knew  no 
Christmas,  but  to  whom  Thanksgiving  Day  was  sacred, 
and  the  old  Knickerbocker  families  who  kept  high  fes- 
tival on  New  Year's  Day,  Christmas  had  small  chance 
of  honor.  To  households  of  French  and  German  de- 
scent, and  to  those  brought  up  in  the  Eoman  Catholic 
and  Episcopal  communions  it  was  very  dear,  and  cher- 
ished with  the  more  devotion  because  of  its  non-observ- 
ance generally.  The  prizes  dreamed  of  for  a  year,  and 
the  longings  of  the  little  hearts  for  a  twelvemonth, 
came  into  the  little  hands  under  the  tree  on  Christmas 
Eve,  and  every  one,  young  and  old,  joined  in  the  fes- 
tivity which  commenced  then.  All  went  to  church  on 
Christmas  morning,  and  all  the  family  gathered  around 
the  table  for  the  Christmas  dinner.  Many  quaint  old 
customs  were  kept  up  in  Mr.  Meier's  household,  and 


18  EARLY  YEARS. 

the  memory  of  those  early  Holy  Days  was  always  fresh 
and  green  to  the  grandchildren. 

Very  different,  yet  very  attractive  in  its  way,  was  the 
other  ancestral  home  at  New  Eochelle.  Here,  under 
the  care  of  his  grandfather,  Dr.  Matson  Smith,  and  the 
good  maiden  aunts  who  mingled  admiring  petting  with 
some  wholesome  New  England  discipline,  parts  of  many 
happy  summers  were  passed.  It  was  a  taste  of  genuine 
farm  life,  after  the  good  old  Connecticut  pattern.  Mat- 
son  was  very  much  at  home  there,  and  had  many  a  story 
to  tell  of  fun  and  mischief,  often  to  the  dismay  of  the 
"  good  aunts."  The  dignified  grandfather,  in  long  black 
coat  and  high  white  neckcloth,  the  embodiment  of  the 
old-school  doctor,  often  took  him  in  his  "  sulky,"  with 
the  little  hair-covered  trunk  of  medicines  and  surgical 
instruments  at  their  feet,  on  his  visits  to  his  patients. 

With  the  farm-hands  he  was  a  favorite ;  for,  utterly 
devoid  of  all  pretence,  he  had  from  earliest  years  the 
warm,  frank  manner  and  sunny  smile  which  won  him 
a  welcome  in  every  home,  and  among  parishioners  of 
all  social  grades  in  later  years.  So  the  city-bred  boy 
learned  something  of  genuine  farm-life. 

A  fine  tract  of  woods  on  the  farm  gave  a  chance  for 
lessons  in  shooting ;  but  this  sport  soon  lost  its  charm, 
as  the  boy  was  too  tender-hearted,  and  always  felt  a 
qualm  when  he  brought  down  a  bird  or  a  squirrel.  It 
ended  on  this  wise.  Having  taken  aim  at  a  "chip- 
munk," the  little  creature  jumped  upon  a  stone  and 
looked  at  him,  as  he  declared,  with  such  pleading  eyes 
that  he  put  down  his  gun  and  never  cared  to  use  it 
again. 

The  earliest  letter  of  the  little  Matson  which  has 
been  preserved  dates  from  New  Kochelle,  and  was  writ-, 
ten  when  he  was  six  years  old,  during  the  first  of  those 


EARLY  YEARS.  19 

gloomy  seasons  known  as  the  "  Cholera  Summers,"  of 
1832  and  1834.  The  writing  is  very  firm  and  distinct, 
and  the  spelling  —  always  a  strong  point  with  the  boy 
—  faultless.  Happy  as  he  was  in  this  kind  household, 
a  little  homesickness  peeps  out  toward  the  end  of  the 

letter. 

NEW  ROCHELLE,  Aug.  31,  1832. 

MY  DEAR  FATHER,  —  I  received  your  letter  by  my 
grandfather,  who  brought  it  from  the  postoffice  to  me. 
It  gave  me  a  great  deal  of  pleasure.  I  broke  the  seal 
myself,  and  read  it  myself,  but  a  few  words  my  grand- 
father told  me.  I  sat  on  my  grandfather's  knee  when 
I  read  it.  I  have  had  company;  their  names  were 
Lydia  and  Deborah  C.  After  tea  they  went  home,  and 

I  went  to  Mr.  P 's,  where  I  heard  some  ladies  play 

on  the  piano. 

My  dear  father,  you  wished  me  to  write  a  full  sheet, 
and  I  have  not  enough  news  to  fill  a  sheet,  and  hope 
you  will  excuse  me.  I  have  been  a  little  feverish  lately, 
but  grandpapa  gave  me  some  medicine,  and  now  I  am 
better.  I  hope  you  will  not  think  I  am  imprudent,  for 
I  do  not  eat  any  fruit. 

I  am  your  affectionate  son,          MATSON. 

September  1. 

I  left  off  writing  yesterday  because  I  was  tired.  This 
part  is  to  my  mother,  and  the  first  to  my  father. 

MY  DEAR  MOTHER,  —  Aunt  Eliza  had  an  owl  fly  at 
her  window  one  night,  and  she  hallooed,  "  Oh,  oh,  it 
is  monstrous ! "  And  I  would  like  you,  father,  to  come 
up  here  to  bring  me  home.  The  whole  family  send 
their  love  to  you,  and  I  send  my  love  to  you  and  my 
father  and  my  sister  and  Katy.  September  1,  1832. 
I  am  your  affectionate  son, 

MATSON  MEIER-SMITH,  New  Rochelle. 


20  EARLY   YEARS. 

An  only  surviving  aunt,  the  sister  of  his  mother, 
writes  thus  of  his  early  boyhood :  "  Matson  was  so  re- 
markably bright  that  he  read  fluently  at  three  years  of 
age ;  and  when  he  began  to  attend  school,  he  had  been 
so  well  taught  by  his  mother,  that  he  was  in  advance 
of  all  children  of  his  age.  He  had  a  bright,  happy  dis- 
position, brimming  over  with  mirth  and  fun.  He  and 
his  cousin  Hermann  delighted  to  imitate  their  fathers. 
Matson  would  ask  to  feel  the  pulse,  if  he  heard  any 
one  complaining;  while  Hermann  would  look  to  see  if 
the  wind  were  in  the  right  quarter  for  the  incoming 
ships. 

"Their  grandfather  Meier  had  a  room  in  the  attic 
made  expressly  for  these  boys,  where  he  loved  to  watch 
them  at  play.  Matson  was  a  great  mimic,  imitating 
the  sounds  of  all  animals,  somewhat  to  the  injury  of 
his  throat  He  was  so  bright  and  full  of  humor  that 
he  was  always  excellent  company,  —  a  happy  child, 
and  a  blessing  to  all  about  him." 

Two  anecdotes  illustrate  the  instinct  of  tender  help- 
fulness, conspicuous  throughout  his  life.  The  first  of 
these  his  aunt  recalls :  "  When  seven  years  old,  seeing 
his  mother's  grief  over  the  death  of  a  young  sister,  he 
told  her  that  he  would  read  something  to  comfort  her ; 
and  opening  his  Bible,  he  read  the  story  of  the  raising 
of  Lazarus,  in  the  llth  chapter  of  St.  John's  Gospel." 
About  a  year  later,  during  one  of  the  seasons  of  depres- 
sion from  which  his  mother  suffered,  he  inferred  from 
observation  the  cause  of  her  sadness,  and  overheard  a 
friend  advising  her  to  read  a  book  by  a  Scotch  writer. 
His  heart  was  filled  with  the  desire  to  do  something 
for  her  relief,  but  he  shrunk  from  going  alone,  having 
suffered  from  the  usual  experience  of  the  small  boy 
who  essays  to  make  purchases  by  himself ;  and  he  ex- 


EARLY  YEARS.  21 

pected  to  encounter  especial  contempt  in  his  quest  for 
a  "  grown-up  "  religious  book.  But  his  busy  father  had 
no  time  to  accompany  him,  so,  summoning  up  his  cour- 
age, and  taking  the  little  purse  with  its  slender  stock  of 
silver,  he  entered  one  of  the  principal  book-shops,  and 
boldly  asked  for  "  Colloquion  [Colquhoun]  on  Spiritual 
Consolation."  No  doubt  it  was  with  surprised  amuse- 
ment that  the  ponderous  title  was  heard  from  the  lips 
of  the  eight-year-old  boy,  but  Matson  gratefully  re- 
membered the  kindly  young  man  who,  instead  of  laugh- 
ing at  him,  assured  him  that  though  that  book  was  not 
to  be  had,  his  slender  means  would  purchase  another, 
and  sent  him  home  happy  in  the  hope  that  "  Johnson's 
Easselas  "  might  be  equally  helpful !  Surely  the  mother 
received  some  uplifting  from  the  loving  effort  of  the 
boy. 

A  child  born  and  nurtured  in  such  homes,  and  amid 
such  associations,  could  hardly  have  been  otherwise 
than  thoughtful,  and  susceptible  to  religious  impres- 
sions, from  very  early  years. 

The  social  circle  in  which  Matson's  parents  moved, 
after  their  removal  to  the  city,  was  a  religious  one. 
They  were  members  of  the  Bleecker-Street  Presbyte- 
rian Church,  of  which  Dr.  Erskine  Mason  was  pastor. 
He  was  the  son  of  the  distinguished  clergyman,  Dr. 
John  M.  Mason,  and  inherited  much  of  his  father's 
intellectual  ability  and  his  power  as  a  preacher.  His 
congregation  numbered  many  of  the  leading  professional 
men  of  the  city,  and  his  sermons  were  among  the  finest 
of  the  type  which  thoughtful  Christians  of  the  day  ex- 
pected from  their  religious  teachers.  The  children  were 
trained  to  listen  to  sermons,  and  "  tell  what  they  could 
remember"  at  home.  The  little  Matson,  listening  so 
often  with  poor  success  for  something  which  he  could 


22  EARLY  YEARS. 

report,  decided  that  "  Dr.  Mason  did  not  know  how  to 
preach,"  and  brought  his  mother  to  confusion  on  one 
occasion  during  a  pastoral  call  of  the  clergyman.  "  I 
saw  you  in  church,  my  little  boy,  last  Sunday,  and  you 
seemed  to  be  paying  great  attention.  What  did  you 
think  about  the  sermon?"  The  unexpected  reply  came 
quickly, "  I  thought  that  when  I  was  a  minister  I  would 
preach  so  that  little  boys  could  understand,  and  have 
something  to  tell  about  afterward."  The  good  minister 
took  no  offence,  but  was  charmed  with  the  frankness  of 
the  reply.  When,  however,  he  was  of  an  age  to  appre- 
ciate the  strength  and  beauty  of  Dr.  Mason's  sermons, 
he  enjoyed  them  extremely,  and  always  felt  that  he 
owed  much  of  his  own  power  as  a  preacher  to  the  ad- 
mirable models  under  which  he  was  trained  during  these 
forming  years.  Dr.  Mason  became  a  dear  and  honored 
friend,  and  Matson  was  on  terms  of  intimacy  with  his 
family,  who  were  near  neighbors. 

While  his  parents  resided  in  Bleecker  Street,  there 
lived,  nearly  opposite,  the  family  of  Mr.  Norman  White, 
which  became  as  his  own  a  few  years  later.  Matson 
first  met  when  he  was  five  years  old  a  baby  girl  who 
has  no  memory  of  a  time  when  she  did  not  know  him. 
The  parents  were  dear  friends,  and  Dr.  Smith  was  the 
beloved  physician  of  Mr.  White's  household.  The 
mothers  told  each  other  proudly  of  the  achievements  of 
their  eldest  born.  Matson's  sister  was  a  playmate  of 
the  little  girl  whom  God  was  keeping  for  him,  and  thus 
constant  knowledge  of  each  other  grew  with  the  years 
of  these  children,  though  she  was  so  much  his  junior 
that  he  seemed  to  her  a  "  big  boy,"  of  whom  she  stood 
in  some  awe. 

During  his  school  and  college  days  they  met  often, 
and  she  recalls  compositions  —  prose  and  rhyme  —  and 


EARLY  YEARS.  23 

caricature  drawings  which  Matson's  sister  proudly  ex- 
hibited to  her,  each  confident  that  the  writer  and  artist 
was  a  genius,  destined  to  dazzle  the  world  in  the  near 
future. 

As  related  in  his  biographical  sketch  of  his  mother, 
he  was  a  very  little  boy  when  the  religious  circles  of 
New  York  were  deeply  stirred  by  an  awakening  under 
the  preaching  of  the  evangelist,  Charles  C.  Finney. 
Matson  was  too  young  to  attend  the  meetings,  but  his 
mother  and  many  of  her  friends  were  greatly  engrossed 
by  them,  and  he,  a  very  observant  child,  heard  much 
conversation  which  deeply  impressed  him.  He  was  re- 
quired to  commit  hymns  to  memory,  and  they  were 
often  of  a  type  of  theology  calculated  to  alarm  and 
excite  a  sensitive  child ;  so  that  he  recalled  much  real 
suffering  from  the  conviction  that  he  was  under  con- 
demnation for  his  sins,  —  and  this  before  he  was  five 
years  old.  In  the  religious  training  of  the  day,  under 
Calvinistic  influences,  fear  overbalanced  love,  and  the 
timid  child  hardly  knew  what  it  was  to  look  up  to  a 
Father.  The  Eighteous  Judge  filled  the  imagination, 
and  the  tender  Saviour  was  almost  shut  out.  The  little 
ones  of  Christ's  Kingdom  felt  themselves  outcasts,  and 
in  distress  and  perplexity,  looked  in  a  vague  way  for 
the  "  conversion  "  to  come  to  them  of  which  their  elders 
talked,  while  the  bright  side  of  the  religious  life  was 
almost  obscured  by  clouds  of  mystery  and  fear.  Thus, 
certainly,  this  little  boy  suffered,  and  debated  the  ques- 
tion from  year  to  year,  conscientious  child  that  he  was, 
"  whether  he  was  a  Christian."  He  belonged  to  a 
"  Little  Boys'  Prayer-Meeting,"  and  was  often  a  leader ; 
because,  as  one  of  the  other  boys  said,  "  Matson  could 
talk  and  pray  easier  than  the  rest."  So  he  could,  for 
expression  was  easy  and  natural  to  him,  but  his  con- 


24  EARLY   YEARS. 

science  troubled  him  lest  he  did  not  "feel  his  prayers." 
It  is  not  to  be  understood  that  he  was  other  than  a 
natural  and  light-hearted  child,  or  that  there  was  any 
more  of  a  morbid  element  in  his  serious  thought  than 
was  inevitable  under  his  surroundings,  and  was  more 
or  less  the  condition  of  all  children  similarly  taught. 

While  his  mirth-loving  propensities  could  not  be  re- 
strained, there  was  an  under-current  of  struggling  unrest. 
He  wondered  if  he  loved  God,  wished  that  he  did,  and 
longed  to  be  sure  that  he  was  one  of  the  chosen.  So 
he  struggled  upward ;  always  a  pure,  obedient,  truthful 
child,  he  was  steadily  moving  toward  the  outward 
Christian  stand.  There  remain  no  memoranda  to  ver- 
ify the  impression,  but  it  is  believed  that  he  was  thirteen 
years  old  when  he  resolved  to  assume  his  baptismal 
vows ;  which  he  did,  in  accordance  with  the  usage  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  by  public  confession  of  his  faith, 
when  he  received  the  Holy  Communion  for  the  first 
time.  But  he  was  not  yet  free  from  doubt  and  trouble, 
though  clearer  light  was  coming  to  him. 

Matson's  most  intimate  friends  among  boys  and 
youth  have,  with  but  few  exceptions,  gone  before  him. 
His  cousin  before  referred  to,  Mr.  Hermann  C.  von 
Post,  his  brother-in-law,  Mr.  Eobert  Jaffray,  the  Eev. 
Dr.  Thomas  S.  Hastings,  Isaac  Lewis  Peet,  LL.  D.,  and 
his  cousin,  Dr.  Gouverneur  M.  Smith,  are  among  the 
number  of  early  friends  who  remain.  Some  of  them 
he  knew  well  from  early  boyhood,  others  a  few  years 
later ;  but  with  all  he  had  memories  of  happy  association 
which  it  was  always  a  pleasure  to  revive. 

The  features  of  character  which  were  conspicuous  in 
later  years  marked  his  boyhood  and  youth.  He  was 
mirthful,  sunny-tempered,  unselfish,  and  affectionate,  of 
quick  sympathies,  and  gifted  with  ready  tact.  Some- 


EARLY   YEARS.  25 

what  ease-loving,  though  when  roused,  working  quickly, 
—  he  was  not  one  of  the  untiring  workers  of  incessant 
activity.  He  was  retiring  in  general  society,  not  self- 
asserting,  and  inclined  then,  as  afterward,  to  await 
recognition  rather  than  to  assume  it.  He  was  not 
easily  daunted,  and  would  never  be  patronized.  When 
once  he  held  a  position  he  was  bold,  and  on  occasions 
defiant,  and  by  no  means  disposed  to  submit  to  any 
but  constitutional  authority.  He  was  very  sensitive  to 
ridicule,  but  could  face  it  bravely  if  occasion  demanded. 
At  college  he  bore  not  a  little,  for,  young  as  he  was,  he 
took  a  decided  stand  with  the  few  whose  views  of  life 
were  serious  and  religious,  while  the  prevailing  tone 
was  quite  the  reverse. 

As  a  scholar  Matson  was  both  quick  and  thoughtful ; 
and  though  he  was  wont  to  call  himself  lazy,  and  declared 
that  he  only  did  such  work  as  was  necessary,  it  would 
seem  that  he  hardly  did  himself  justice,  for  he  was 
throughout  his  school  years  in  advance  of  boys  of  his 
age.  It  is  remembered  that  his  father  was  heard  to 
say  of  him  to  a  friend,  "  What  shall  I  do  with  my  boy  ? 
He  is  not  thirteen  years  old,  but  he  has  gone  through 
the  course  of  the  preparatory  schools ;  he  is  too  young 
for  college,  and  they  don't  want  him  any  longer  at  the 
grammar  school." 

The  standard  of  scholarship  was  then  much  lower 
than  at  present;  and  a  boy  could  pass  the  necessary 
examinations  to  enter  most  of  the  colleges,  with  per- 
haps two  years  less  preparation  than  is  now  required. 


III. 

COLLEGE  AND  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY. 
1839-1846. 

IN  1839,  when  less  than  fourteen  years  of  age,  Matson 
Meier-Smith  entered  Columbia  College,  New  York, 
and  was  the  youngest  member  of  his  class. 

In  his  own  retrospect,  college  days  had  but  little  fas- 
cination for  him.  Living  at  home,  he  lost  the  experience 
of  good  fellowship,  and  failed  to  form  the  close  friend- 
ships which  are  often  so  pleasant  a  feature  of  college 
life.  He  had  but  little  liking  for  the  fashionable  society 
he  might  have  entered,  through  the  acquaintance  formed 
at  Columbia,  and  his  growing  religious  character  led  him 
out  of  such  associations  into  those  which  more  directly 
met  his  higher  aspirations. 

There  is  but  a  brief  record  of  his  college  life.  He 
was  a  good  Latin  and  Greek  scholar ;  and  to  Dr.  Charles 
Anthon,  Professor  of  Greek  and  Latin,  he  felt  under 
much  obligation  for  thorough  discipline,  and  the  awak- 
ening of  real  interest  in  classical  study.  Henry  James 
Andrews,  LL.  D.,  Professor  of  Mathematics,  he  always 
remembered  with  gratitude.  He  thought  himself  defi- 
cient in  mathematical  ability,  and  this  impression  dis- 
couraged him,  and  caused  him  to  lose  much  that  he 
might  have  gained  from  Professor  Andrews's  valuable 
instruction.  Matson  maintained  a  good,  though  not  a 
brilliant  standard  of  scholarship  throughout  his  course, 


COLLEGE  AND  SEMINARY  LIFE.  27 

graduating  third  or  fourth  in  his  class.  The  theme  of 
his  graduating  oration  was  "  Consecrated  Talent."  He 
received  his  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts  in  1843,  when 
he  was  a  little  more  than  seventeen  years  of  age.  One 
who  was  in  college  at  the  same  time,  but  a  year  in  ad- 
vance of  him,  writes :  "  He  impressed  me  by  the  same 
traits  of  light-heartedness  and  unselfishness  which  he 
exhibited  in  all  his  after  life." 

During  his  college  course,  another  season  of  great  re- 
ligious interest  occurred  in  the  Presbyterian  Church,  in 
connection  with  the  evangelistic  work  of  the  Eev.  Dr. 
Kirk,  which  enlisted  all  his  heart.  Dr.  Kirk's  preaching 
and  work  were  radiant  with  the  light  of  a  full  and  free 
gospel.  He  was  a  man  of  persuasive  eloquence,  of  a 
fine  and  winning  presence,  gifted  with  the  richest  and 
most  melodious  of  voices,  and  a  magnetic  power  which 
compelled  the  attention  and  moved  the  heart.  Few 
who  remember  Edward  Norris  Kirk  in  his  prime,  will 
admit  that  any  later  evangelist  has  equalled  him  in  his 
power  over  an  intelligent  audience.  He  encouraged  the 
most  timid  with  his  tender,  pastoral  counsel ;  and  there 
must  be  many  now  living  who  owe  to  him  their  eman- 
cipation from  the  doubts  which  overshadowed  their 
youth,  through  mistaken  early  instruction. 

Among  the  number  who  received  such  help  was  the 
subject  of  these  pages.  He  called  Dr.  Kirk  his  spiritual 
father,  and  never  mentioned  him  but  with  loving  grati- 
tude. It  was  through  his  instruction  that  he  came  to 
the  light,  and  consecrated  himself  heartily  to  the  service 
of  a  Saviour  whose  love  he  had  hitherto  but  imperfectly 
understood. 

Apparently  no  diminution  of  religious  purpose  and 
consecration  was  caused  by  college  associations,  and 
Matson  began  to  consider  the  claims  upon  him  of  the 


2S  COLLEGE   AND   SEMINARY  LIFE. 

sacred  ministry,  as  he  approached  his  graduation.  His 
mother's  heart  longed  to  see  her  boy  in  that  high  call- 
ing, but  she  conscientiously  refrained  from  pressing  her 
wishes  upon  him.  A  flattering  position  in  the  business- 
house  of  his  grandfather  was  offered  to  him.  To  decline 
it,  as  he  did,  involved  worldly  sacrifice.  At  this  time  he 
had  strong  leanings  toward  the  hereditary  profession  of 
medicine.  Indeed,  throughout  his  life  he  felt  an  inter- 
est, only  second  to  that  in  his  own  calling,  in  this  hon- 
ored profession,  and  numbered  many  physicians  among 
his  most  valued  friends. 

While  debating  a  final  decision,  Matson  decided  to 
spend  a  year  in  medical  study,  and  entering  the  office 
of  his  uncle,  Dr.  Joseph  Mather  Smith,  he  attended  sev- 
eral courses  of  lectures  at  the  College  of  Physicians  and 
Surgeons.  He  pursued  these  studies  with  much  enthu- 
siasm, and  always  felt  the  benefit  of  them.  There  was 
that  in  his  temperament,  and  in  his  intellectual  traits, 
which  doubtless  would  have  made  him  successful  as  a 
physician,  had  he  not  been  impelled  irresistibly  to  the 
ministry.  During  these  years  he  was  actively  engaged 
in  Sunday-school  and  Mission  work  in  the  Bleecker- 
Street  Church.  He  had  also  many  social  connections 
with  the  Mercer-Street  Church,  and  greatly  admired 
the  preaching  of  its  distinguished  pastor,  the  Eev.  Dr. 
Thomas  H.  Skinner.  There  are  seldom  found  in  one 
congregation  so  many  cultivated  and  influential  laymen 
as  were  there  associated.  Intellectually  and  religiously 
he  found  much  stimulus  in  the  meetings  of  such  men 
for  conference  and  worship.  Dr.  Meier-Smith  recalled 
them  as  the  "  palmy  days  of  the  prayer-meeting,"  and 
said  that  he  "  belonged  to  Bleecker-Street  Church  and 
to  Mercer-Street  Prayer-Meeting."  After  such  a  model 
he  tried  to  mould  the  social  services  in  the  congregations 


COLLEGE  AND   SEMINARY   LIFE.  29 

to  which  he  ministered.  But  the  material  was  often 
wanting.  His  high  ideal  made  him  impatient  of  the 
formalism  and  dull  mediocrity  which  so  often  kill  the 
prayer-meeting,  and  in  his  maturer  years  he  was  far 
less  confident  of  its  benefits  than  were  many  of  his 
brethren. 

When  asked,  after  he  became  rector  of  an  Episcopal 
parish,  "Do  you  not  miss  the  prayer-meeting?"  his 
answer  was,  "  I  should  if  it  meant  such  a  service  as  we 
had  in  old  '  Mercer-Street '  days,  but  alas !  it  don't." 

As  many  of  his  relatives  were  members  of  the  Epis- 
copal Church,  he  often  attended  the  services  of  that 
Church,  and  was  much  attracted  by  them.  The  Prayer- 
Book,  as  a  study  of  devotion,  he  prized,  and  its  phrase- 
ology strongly  impressed  itself  on  his  mind.  Probably  it 
was  to  this  cause  that  he  owed  what  was  sometimes 
spoken  of  as  his  "  gift  of  prayer."  Reverent  and  Scriptu- 
ral language,  and  orderly  arrangement  of  thought,  with 
maturity  of  expression,  were  characteristic  of  his  efforts 
to  lead  his  congregation  in  worship  from  his  earliest 
ministry.  Matson  was  strongly  influenced  to  take  Or- 
ders in  the  Episcopal  Church ;  and  his  father,  a  man 
of  unsectarian  tendencies,  would  not  have  objected,  but 
at  this  time  he  was  an  ardent  young  Presbyterian,  and 
felt  himself  able  to  combat  successfully  the  claims  of 
historic  Episcopacy.  Certainly  he  did  it  to  his  own 
satisfaction,  for  in  the  autumn  of  1844  he  entered  the 
Union  Theological  Seminary  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 
The  course  of  three  years'  study  he  found  very  interest- 
ing, awakening  in  him  the  first  genuine  enthusiasm  for 
study. 

Dr.  Henry  White,  Professor  of  Theology,  and  Dr. 
Edward  Eobinson,  Professor  of  Sacred  Literature,  were 
admirable  teachers,  and  inspired  enthusiasm  in  their 


30  COLLEGE  AND  SEMINARY  LIFE. 

students.  Dr.  Robinson's  eminent  scholarship  made 
his  instructions  especially  valuable.  Dr.  Meier-Smith 
remembered  them  gratefully,  as  well  as  the  personal 
interest  the  distinguished  scholar  took  in  his  young 
student,  who  was  permitted  to  enjoy  a  warm  friend- 
ship with  him,  and  his  cultivated  and  literary  family. 

These  years  were  happy  ones.  Much  religious  fer- 
vor pervaded  the  seminary,  aud  there  was  especially 
an  awakening  of  the  missionary  spirit.  The  claims  of 
foreign  missions  were  strongly  presented,  and  a  number 
of  Matson's  classmates  consecrated  themselves  to  this 
work.  His  own  heart  was  greatly  stirred,  and  at  one 
time  his  decision  was  almost  made  to  give  himself  to 
the  work  of  Christ  in  heathen  lands.  It  kindled  his 
imagination  and  appealed  to  the  spirit  of  self-sacrifice, 
which  appeared  to  him  as  the  foundation  of  all  success- 
ful work  in  his  sacred  calling.  Throughout  his  ministry 
he  was  a  thorough  believer  in  "  Foreign  Missions."  The 
Lord's  command,  "  Go  ye  into  all  the  world,"  he  con- 
sidered an  all-sufficient  justification  for  all  sacrifice  of 
labor  or  wealth,  apart  from  any  results.  "  Had  I  not 
honestly  decided,  and  at  much  pain  to  myself,  guided  by 
the  counsels  of  trusted  advisers,  that  my  duty  lay  in 
my  own  land,  I  would  have  gone  to  India,"  he  wrote, 
adding,  "  Yes,  it  was  a  sacrifice  to  give  it  up."  Some  of 
the  most  eloquent  platform  addresses  Dr.  Meier-Smith 
ever  made  were  in  behalf  of  this  work.  In  later  years, 
during  his  professorship  in  the  Divinity  School,  he  pre- 
pared a  thorough  course  of  lectures  on  Foreign  Missions, 
giving  historical  sketches  of  the  work,  as  carried  on  by 
various  Christian  bodies. 

During  his  seminary  course  he  gave  much  attention 
to  extemporaneous  speaking  and  the  cultivation  of 
oratorical  power.  He  had  a  rich  and  musical  voice, 


COLLEGE  AND   SEMINARY  LIFE.  31 

and  was  recognized  as  one  of  the  best  speakers  of  his 
class.  The  students  were  not  then  allowed  to  preach 
until  regularly  licensed,  but  he  gave  informal  lectures 
now  and  then  in  New  York  and  at  New  Rochelle. 

Toward  the  close  of  his  theological  course  a  friend- 
ship began  which  was  of  much  benefit  to  him,  and  was 
affectionately  cherished  until  death  interrupted  it  a  few 
years  since.  The  Rev.  Charles  Hawley,  D.  D.,  for  many 
years  pastor  of  a  church  in  Auburn,  New  York,  was 
then  a  young  man,  a  few  years  Matson's  senior,  and 
minister  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  at  New  Rochelle. 
Dr.  Smith's  family  had  removed  thither,  and  Matson 
was  often  with  them.  Mr.  Hawley  was  a  remark- 
ably attractive  man,  possessing  a  charm  of  unaffected 
sweetness  much  like  Matson's  own,  and  very  unusual 
gifts  as  a  preacher.  He  won  his  young  brother's  love 
and  admiration,  and  returned  it  cordially.  In  every 
regard  this  friendship  was  helpful  and  stimulating. 
Together  they  spent  hours  in  walks  over  the  beautiful 
country,  planning  the  full  lives  they  believed  were  be- 
fore them,  and  together  they  prayed  for  the  blessing  of 
the  great  Head  of  the  Church,  to  whose  service  they 
had  consecrated  themselves.  A  deeper  and  more  fer- 
vent religious  life  was  kindled  by  this  brotherly  com- 
munion. A  promise  was  then  made,  that  when  their 
work  should  separate  them,  correspondence  should  be 
frequent ;  but  in  the  pressure  of  busy  lives,  this  pur- 
pose was  not  carried  out.  Only  now  and  then  did 
letters  pass  between  them,  but  the  old  love  remained 
to  the  last. 

While  in  the  Theological  Seminary  he  had  two  regu- 
lar correspondents ;  but  the  letters  of  his  friends,  which 
gave  much  detail  of  these  years,  were  lost  in  the  transi- 
tion from  one  parish  to  another,  and  his  own  cannot 


32  COLLEGE  AND  SEMINARY  LIFE. 

be  found,  as  those  to  whom  they  were  written  are  not 
living. 

Some  warm  friendships  were  formed  in  the  Seminary. 
The  two  friends  with  whom  he  was  most  intimate  were 
the  Rev.  Edwin  A.  Bulkley  and  the  Rev.  James  Kim- 
ball  Mr.  Kimball  died  a  few  months  after  entering 
upon  his  ministry.  Dr.  Bulkley,  a  lifelong  friend  and 
his  kinsman  by  marriage,  has  contributed  to  these  pages 
the  following  affectionate  reminiscences  of  those  early 
days : — 

"...  In  quick  and  pleasant  recollection,  my  mind  runs  back 
to  the  September  days  of  '44,  when  my  ever-constant  friend, 
Matson  Meier-Smith,  started,  side  by  side  with  myself,  upon 
the  curriculum  in  the  Union  Theological  Seminary  of  JSfew 
York  City.  We  came  together  by  mutual  attraction,  without 
previous  acquaintance.  We  were  the  juniors  in  a  large  class, 
—  ourselves  still  lacking  more  than  two  years  of  our  major- 
ity ;  and  the  considerable  interval  between  us  and  our  older 
and  more  mature  classmates  was  one  link  in  our  association. 
This  was  strengthened  into  habitual  companionship  and 
close  intimacy,  and  still  further  into  a  relationship  through 
a  marriage.  In  all  the  variations  of  our  lives  and  diver- 
gence of  our  paths  which  lessened  communication,  this  friend- 
ship was  never  broken  till  the  one  went  on  in  advance  of 
the  other  across  the  river.  He  was  as  strong  as  a  man  and 
tender  as  a  woman  in  his  attachments ;  and  in  his  last  days 
he  sought  to  revive  the  early  experiences  of  Christian  fel- 
lowship in  an  expressed  purpose  and  plan  for  more  frequent 
intercourse. 

"  His  temperament  was  very  bxioyant  ;  cheerfulness  sel- 
dom forsook  him.  With  a  keen  sense  of  humor  and  a  sharp 
wit,  his  merriment  found  constant  play,  and  animated  others, 
while  he  was  not  without  seriousness  and  dignity.  To  this 
spirit  he  owed  much  in  times  of  trial,  and  the  heartiness  of  his 
greeting  and  laugh  was  a  medicine  to  many  a  depressed  friend. 


COLLEGE  AND  SEMINARY  LIFE.  33 

With  a  very  confiding  nature,  he  sought  a  close  Christian 
intimacy  with  some  of  his  fellows,  evidently  aiming  to  help 
them,  but  more  to  advance  his  own  spiritual  life.  So  always, 
with  his  proven  friends  and  brethren  in  the  ministry,  he 
loved  to  give  and  receive  confidence. 

"  After  our  seminary  days  we  passed  to  active  work  in  the 
same  part  of  the  country  ;  and  so  in  all  our  pastorates,  though 
not  very  near  neighbors,  we  were  never  very  far  apart.  The 
time  is  pleasantly  recalled,  when,  in  a  suburb  of  Boston,  he 
was  just  coming  into  that  distinction  in  the  pulpit  which  he 
more  and  more  acquired  as  he  continued  to  preach.  His 
friends  rejoiced  in  his  usefulness  and  honor,  and  he  in  turn 
never  failed  to  express  his  gratification  when  they  had  similar 
recognition  in  the  Church. 

"  In  his  change  of  denominational  relations,  his  catholicity 
of  spirit  was  not  at  all  abated.  Those  whom  he  could  not 
persuade  to  accompany  him  into  another  church  fellowship 
were  still  held  by  him  in  warm-hearted  fraternity.  Clear  and 
firm  in  his  new-found  convictions,  he  always  rejoiced  in  the 
greater  communion  of  saints,  and  loved  no  less  his  former 
and  cherished  associates. 

"  It  was  a  startling  surprise  when  the  news  of  his  death 
was  flashed  to  us  ;  but  we  knew  that  all  was  well  with  him. 
We  looked  with  gratitude  on  the  calmness  of  his  face  in 
death  ;  and  we  sang  with  thanksgiving  his  funeral  hymn." 

The  Rev.  Professor  Dwinell  thus  wrote  after  the 
death  of  Dr.  Meier-Smith :  — 

PACIFIC  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY, 

OAKLAND,  CAL.,  Nov.  10,  1887. 

...  I  was  in  Union  Seminary,  N.  Y.f  at  the  same  time  that 
he  was,  and  knew  him  very  well.  A  perfectly  distinct  image 
of  him  comes  up  to  my  mind  at  this  time.  I  can  believe 
every  word  of  the  testimonials  to  his  memory,  and  believe 
them  faint  by  the  side  of  his  excellencies  aud  the  reality. 
3 


34  COLLEGE  AND  SEMINARY  LIFE. 

Excuse  me  for  obtruding  on  your  attention,  but  the 
pleasantness  of  early  associations  and  memories  impels  me  to 
give  this  tribute  to  his  worth  as  I  knew  him  when  a  young 


Dr.  I.  L.  Peet,  President  of  the  New  York  Institution 
for  the  Deaf  and  Dumb,  wrote  under  date  of  August  9, 
1887 :  — 

"...  Your  late  husband  was  one  of  the  most  beloved 
companions  of  my  boyhood,  as  he  was  one  of  the  brightest. 
He  was,  in  every  respect,  far  in  advance  of  other  boys  of  his 
age ;  and  when  he  graduated  from  college  at  a  period  of  life 
when  most  young  men  enter,  and  after  the  usual  course  of 
preparation,  entered  upon  the  duties  of  the  Christian  minis- 
try, I  found  that  the  promise  of  his  youth  was  fulfilled  in  his 
manhood.  Ever  since  then  I  have  watched  his  career  with 
interest,  and  when  I  learned  that  in  the  midst  of  his  useful 
and  honorable  labors  in  Philadelphia,  he  was  so  suddenly 
called  to  go  up  higher  to  be  forever  with  the  Lord,  I  mourned 
his  departure,  —  not  on  his  own  account,  but  on  my  own 
account  and  that  of  others.  ..." 


IV. 

PROFESSIONAL  WORK  BEFORE  ORDINATION. 
1847-1849. 

HERE  on  the  threshold  of  his  future  life-work,  the 
familiar  name  of  boyhood  may  be  dropped. 

A  word  of  explanation  may  perhaps  be  needed  for 
some  who  knew  him  only  in  the  early  years  of  his  life 
and  ministry.  The  adoption  of  his  middle  name  as  a 
prefix  to  his  surname  did  not  become  general  until  the 
last  twenty  years  of  his  life,  though  always  more  or  less 
in  use.  As  there  was  no  descendant  of  his  maternal 
grandfather  to  bear  his  honored  name,  he  sympathized 
with  his  mother's  wish  to  make  it  prominent,  and  the 
double  name  was  always  his  signature.  So  completely 
is  it  now  identified  with  him,  that  to  speak  of  him  as  he 
was  generally  addressed  in  earlier  years,  would  be  unfa- 
miliar to  nearly  all  who  may  read  these  pages;  and 
therefore  the  name  by  which  they  knew  him  will  be 
used  throughout  the  volume. 

After  passing  the  necessary  examinations,  Mr.  Meier- 
Smith  was  licensed  to  preach  by  the  Fourth  Presbytery 
of  New  York,  April  9,  1847.  In  accordance  with  the 
regulation  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  ordination  was 
deferred  until  a  pastorate  or  other  settled  work  should 
be  assumed.  He  preached  his  first  sermons  on  the  fol- 
lowing Sunday,  in  the  old  church  at  New  Rochelle,  his 
parents  and  sister  being  among  his  hearers.  The  texts 


36  WORK  BEFORE  ORDINATIOX. 

of  these  sermons  he  has  recorded:  the  first,  from  the 
second  Epistle  to  the  Corinthians  (ii,  15,  16),  "  For  we 
are  unto  God  a  sweet  savour  of  Christ,  in  them  that  are 
saved,  and  in  them  that  perish.  To  the  one  we  are 
the  savour  of  death  unto  death,  and  to  the  other  the 
savour  of  life  unto  life.  And  who  is  sufficient  for 
these  things?" 

The  second  sermon  was  from  the  eighth  chapter  of 
the  Epistle  to  the  Bomans.  The  text  was  the  eloquent 
passage  commencing  "  He  that  spared  not  his  own  Son," 
and  ending,  "  In  all  these  things  we  are  more  than  con- 
querors through  him  that  loved  us."  Looking  back 
over  the  forty  years  of  his  ministry,  it  would  seem  that 
in  these  his  introductory  sermons  he  struck  the  key- 
note of  all  his  future  preaching.  The  first  one  glowed 
with  his  lofty  ideal  of  his  calling,  while  with  touching 
humility  he  expressed  his  own  sense  of  his  unworthi- 
ness.  The  second  one  was  inspired  by  the  one  great 
theme  ever  dearest  to  his  heart,  —  the  love  of  God  as 
manifested  in  the  life  and  work  of  our  blessed  Lord. 
The  serious  earnestness  of  his  style  and  manner  in  the 
pulpit,  free  from  all  trifling  and  levity,  and  the  straight- 
forward march  of  vigorous  thought  were  the  natural 
outgrowth  of  the  truths  underlying  the  first  sermon ; 
while  the  fervor  and  unction  which  gave  his  preach- 
ing its  power  could  hardly  have  been  wanting  where 
the  ever  prominent  theme  was  Christ  crucified,  risen, 
glorified. 

Mr.  Meier-Smith  had  but  just  completed  his  twenty- 
first  year  as  he  commenced  his  work,  and  he  was  much 
oppressed  by  a  sense  of  youth  and  immaturity.  He 
resolved  not  to  seek  a  parochial  charge  at  once,  but  to 
spend  a  year  or  two  in  further  preparation,  and  in  ac- 
quiring greater  facility  in  writing  and  speaking,  giving 


WORK  BEFORE  ORDINATION.  37 

himself  the  while  to  the  occasional  assistance  of  other 
clergymen,  or  to  temporary  work  in  vacant  parishes. 
He  had  at  this  time  an  offer  to  spend  a  year  in  Europe. 
This  he  declined  from  a  conscientious  apprehension  that 
there  might  be,  from  foreign  study  and  travel,  a  loss  of 
interest  in  his  work,  and  a  lowering  of  the  tone  of  re- 
ligious life  which  would  outweigh  the  advantages  that 
might  be  gained.  Such  a  view  of  European  travel  and 
study  was  more  common  forty  years  ago  than  at  the 
present  day.  He  felt  afterwards  that  he  was  probably 
mistaken  in  this,  and  that  the  broader  views  and  more 
thorough  preparation  he  might  have  acquired  would 
have  been  of  great  benefit  to  him  in  his  life-work. 

He  had  a  modest  appreciation  of  his  own  ability,  and 
was  genuinely  surprised  when  he  found  himself  in  de- 
mand and  his  services  acceptable.  The  encouragement 
was  good  for  him.  His  sensitive  temperament  needed 
it.  From  the  record  kept  of  his  public  ministrations  it 
appears  that  he  was  at  work  almost  every  Sunday  from 
the  time  of  his  licensure.  His  home  at  this  time  was 
with  his  parents  at  New  Eochelle,  and  he  officiated 
there  frequently,  —  his  friend,  Mr.  Hawley,  suffering 
from  a  long  illness.  Often,  also,  his  former  pastor,  Dr. 
Mason,  called  for  his  help,  and  he  was  welcomed  in  the 
church  of  his  nurture  with  a  cordiality  which  proved 
that  a  young  prophet  was  not  always  "  without  honor 
in  his  own  country  "  and  among  his  kinsfolk.  His  first 
experience  at  a  distance  from  New  York  City  was  at 
Mount  Morris  in  Western  New  York,  where  he  sup- 
plied the  place  of  a  friend  for  a  few  weeks,  and  made 
some  warm  friendships,  among  others  that  of  a  noble 
Christian  woman  who  henceforth  watched  his  course 
with  loving  interest,  and  predicted  for  him  a  faithful 
and  successful  ministry.  A  letter  received  from  her 


38  WORK  BEFORE  ORDINATION. 

since  his  earthly  work  has  ended  speaks  tenderly  of 
the  impression  he  made  in  that  community,  in  spite  of 
youth  and  untried  powers. 

The  next  winter  Mr.  Meier-Smith  was  at  home,  and 
at  work  quite  steadily ;  and  in  the  spring  of  1848  he 
was  invited  to  visit  Western  New  York.  Friends  who 
were  settled  in  parishes  in  that  part  of  the  State  wished 
to  have  him  near  them,  and  he  filled  vacancies  for  some 
months,  —  first  in  Perry  Centre  and  afterward  in  Le 
Boy.  The  former  place  was  in  the  midst  of  a  farming 
community,  and  the  people  were  a  little  afraid  of  the 
young  minister  from  the  great  city.  He  wrote  home, 
"  I  am  the  biggest  man  in  the  place,  judging  from  the 
respect  with  which  I  am  treated."  He  gave  them  sim- 
ple sermons  and  familiar  talks,  and  so  won  their  interest 
and  favor  that  they  proposed  to  give  him  a  call.  But 
he  now  received  an  invitation  from  a  more  important 
and  prominent  church,  and  one  which  he  felt  he  could 
serve  more  successfully.  Le  Roy  was  an  attractive  and 
enterprising  town,  with  many  intelligent  people,  and  the 
work  there  looked  inviting  to  a  young  and  enthusiastic 
man.  At  the  close  of  a  three  months'  engagement,  he 
was  earnestly  desired  to  remain  permanently ;  but  he 
found  an  obstacle  in  the  shape  of  a  minority  who  from 
some  unlucky  past  experiences,  though  anxious  to  re- 
tain him,  were  opposed  to  having  any  permanent  pastor, 
and  desired  to  engage  him  from  year  to  year.  This  he 
thought  bad  policy  and  poor  Presbyterianism,  and  de- 
clined to  stay  unless  regularly  called,  and  with  entire 
unanimity.  It  is  certain  that  it  was  with  great  regret 
that  the  most  of  the  large  congregation  parted  with 
him,  and  for  some  months  he  was  in  correspondence 
with  them,  many  efforts  being  made  to  shake  his  de- 
cision. He  was  firm,  however,  and  felt  assured  that  he 


WORK  BEFORE  ORDINATION.  39 

was  withheld  for  some  good  reason  from  the  pleasant 
settlement  in  prospect. 

Toward  the  close  of  the  year  1848  he  became  engaged 
to  Mary  Stuart,  daughter  of  Norman  White  of  New 
York.  The  acquaintance  from  childhood  blossomed 
suddenly  into  the  close  union  which  was  to  be  so 
blessed  for  almost  forty  years. 

This  new  tie  strengthened  the  now  earnest  desire  for 
a  settled  field  of  labor.  Yet  it  appeared  to  be  duty 
to  remain  at  New  Rochelle  for  a  few  months,  as  his 
friend,  Mr.  Hawley,  pastor  of  the  church,  had  just  re- 
signed his  charge,  and  the  congregation  depended  upon 
Mr.  Meier-Smith's  services.  During  the  winter  he  was 
invited  to  take  an  old  and  much  enfeebled  church  in 
New  York  ;  but  his  friends  advised  against  it,  thinking 
it  beyond  hope  of  resuscitation.  That  he  now  felt  more 
deeply  than  ever  a  spirit  of  consecration  and  willing- 
ness to  go  wherever  God  should  send  him,  the  following 
extracts  from  letters  to  Miss  White  will  show :  — 

NEW  ROCHELLE,  December,  1848. 

.  .  .  For  myself,  I  live  anew.  The  kindness  of  God  to 
me,  in  bestowing  such  a  gift  upon  me,  has  led  me  to  a 
renewed,  unreserved  self-consecration.  May  He  direct 
us  to  a  place  where  we  may  together  labor  for  the  sal- 
vation of  precious  spirits  and  the  triumph  of  our  risen 
Lord.  If  he  spare  us  to  advanced  life,  may  we  be  al- 
ways fruitful  in  His  vineyard.  If  our  days  be  few,  let 
our  labors  be  abundant,  that  we  may  sleep  sweetly  till 
the  Resurrection  morning.  .  .  . 

After  preaching  twice :  — 

December,  1848. 

.  .  .  Let  me  give  you  some  of  my  own  experience  to- 
day. I  have  found  to-day,  for  the  thousandth  time, 


40  WORK  BEFORE  ORDINATION. 

that  "  God  worketh  in  us  after  His  own  pleasure."  I 
wanted  to  mount  to  a  high  position,  —  to  get  far  above 
the  dust  and  din  of  earth,  and  into  the  focus  of  eternal 
realities.  I  wanted  so  to  feel  their  power  and  influence 
as  to  become  a  different  man ;  to  get  such  a  view  of 
things  unutterable,  that  I  might  tell  upon  my  fellow- 
men;  to  get  so  high  and  receive  impressions  of  such 
tremendous  strength,  that  Satan  could  no  more  wound 
me  with  the  arrows  of  infidelity.  But  God  has  suffered 
me  to  feel  the  clog,  the  weight,  the  drag  of  a  depressed 
nature;  and  to  realize  my  absolute  dependence  upon 
His  Spirit's  aid  for  strength  to  mount,  —  aye,  for  any 
life  at  all.  .  .  . 

In  answer  to  questions  as  to  reasons  for  conflict  with 
doubt :  — 

January,  1849. 

.  .  .  Suffer  me  to  obtrude  a  leaf  from  my  own  experi- 
ence. Last  spring  I  was  in  a  strange  state  of  mind. 
It  seemed  as  if  a  whole  regiment  from  hell  was  let 
loose  upon  my  spirit,  to  assail  me  in  every  part  with  all 
the  shafts  and  shots  of  infidelity.  My  creed  was  shaken 
to  the  very  foundation,  and  the  most  vigorous  use  of 
syllogism  upon  syllogism,  and  prayer  upon  prayer,  did 
no  more  than  just  keep  me  from  complete  destruction 
beneath  their  violence.  It  was  just  as  much  as  I  could 
do  to  hold  fast  and  say,  "  I  believe."  Why  this  conten- 
tion with  "  principalities  "  and  "  spiritual  wickedness," 
I  knew  not,  but  have  since  seen  in  a  measure.  It  just 
enabled  me  to  meet  the  case  of  a  Christian  brother  at 
Perry,  and  again  to  stop  the  mouths  and  gain  assent 
to  the  truth  of  Christian  doctrine  from  some  young 
men  at  Le  Roy.  The  experience  taught  me  more  of  the 
nature  of  infidelity,  and  the  way  to  meet  it,  than  I 
could  have  learned  in  a  year  from  books  or  lectures.  .  .  . 


WORK  BEFORE  ORDINATION.  41 

.  .  .  Looking  forward  to  some  of  the  trials  which  you 
seem  to  dread,  this  thought  may  be  given.  Afflictions 
will  come,  in  whatever  position  of  life  we  are  placed. 
They  are  as  certainly  the  portion  of  the  children  of  ease 
as  of  those  of  a  less  brilliant  fortune.  And  since  they 
must  come,  and  will  come,  how  delightful  to  have  them 
all  in  the  way  of  Christ's  service.  We  shall  find  them 
in  the  ministry,  but  they  will  perhaps  be  of  a  different 
kind  from  what  we  should  have  experienced  in  some 
other  calling.  Let  us  go  forward  with  stout  hearts, 
ready  to  encounter  anything.  Storms  will  make  us 
cling  closer  to  each  other  and  to  the  Lord.  Still,  don't 
dwell  on  melancholy  forebodings,  nor  "  die  a  thousand 
deaths  in  dreading  one."  .  .  . 

January,  1849. 

.  .  .  Let  me  say  a  word  to  animate  you  in  the 
prospect  of  a  life  in  the  great  work.  Does  it  seem  a 
life  of  toil  and  sorrow  to  you,  my  Mary  ?  See  its  cer- 
tain success  predicted  by  the  "  Voice  which  rolls  the 
stars  along."  "Glorious  things  are  spoken  of  thee, 
O  city  of  God!"  Is  it  an  employ  unhonored  and 
unsung  by  worldly-wise  men  ?  Lo,  God's  estimate  of 
those  engaged  therein.  "  How  beautiful  upon  the 
mountains  are  the  feet  of  those  who  bring  good  tid- 
ings ! "  Let  us  go  hand  in  hand  rejoicing.  We  have 
a  blessed  business  before  us.  The  Forerunner  has  ac- 
complished His  portion,  —  delightful  assurance  that  He 
will  aid  us  in  our  part.  Encircled  in  the  arms  of  cove- 
nant love,  —  sustained,  made  effective  by  power  from 
on  high,  —  we  may  go  forth  bearing  precious  seed, 
presently  to  return  with  sheaves  ripe  and  golden  for 
Immanuel's  garner.  .  .  . 


42  WORK  BEFORE  ORDINATION. 

February,  1849. 

...  I  am  now  ready  to  begin  the  work  of  the 
ministry  in  earnest.  My  eighteen  months  of  licen- 
sure  have  been  taken  up  with  preparation  more  ex- 
tended than  I  had  in  the  Seminary.  I  have  learned 
many  lessons,  some  of  them  bitter.  The  path  of  duty 
is  beginning  to  be  more  clear,  away  from  home,  but  in 
what  direction  I  know  not  I  wish  to  resolve  myself 
away  from  self  and  pleasure,  and  claims  of  flesh  and 
blood,  and  say  to  the  great  Bishop  of  the  Church, 
"  Lord,  send  me  where  Thou  wilt.  At  the  first  beck  of 
Thy  finger  will  I  go;  no  longer  fastidious  about  the 
place,  I  will  labor  there  until  Thou  send  me  elsewhere, 
if  it  be  until  the  coming  of  the  great  day."  And  by 
anywhere  and  where  Thou  wilt,  I  mean  it  all.  To 
China  or  Cape  Horn,  to  Illinois  or  Eome,  to  Tahiti  or 
London,  to  the  Western  Wilderness  or  New  York  City, 
or  even  to  New  Eochelle,  of  which  I  don't  see  the 
slightest  probability. 

I  speak  of  being  "  fastidious."  I  do  not  mean  that 
I  regret  my  past  decisions,  for  I  have  not  felt  ready  for 
settlement,  either  intellectually  or  socially.  Now,  hav- 
ing a  small  stock  of  sermons  in  hand,  and  having  dis- 
covered a  capacity  for  extemporizing,  of  which  I  before 
was  ignorant,  and  being  socially  provided  for  better 
than  I  ever  thought  possible  before,  —  I  am  ready  and 
feel  it  a  solemn  duty  to  get  to  work  permanently,  as 
soon  as  possible.  In  this  consecration  may  I  not  ask 
my  dearest  Mary  to  unite  ?  Aye,  let  us  join  — 

"...  The  Solemn  Vow, 
The  Vow  we  dare  not  break, 
That  long  as  life  itself  shall  last 
Ourselves  to  Christ  we  yield  ; 
Nor  from  His  cause  will  we  depart, 
Nor  ever  quit  the  field." 


WORK  BEFORE  ORDINATION.  43 

April,  1849. 

.  .  .  You  remember  I  came  home  with  the  inten- 
tion of  devoting  the  week  to  hard  intellectual  exertion. 
But  not  a  bit  of  headwork  have  I  done,  save  what  was 
subsidiary  to  something  more  important.  I  have  found 
plenty  of  heart  work  to  do,  and  I  think  you  have  been 
praying  especially  for  me.  The  past  of  my  Christian 
course  fills  me  with  shame  and  repentance,  and  I  long 
with  unwonted  desire  to  perceive  more  of  the  glory  of 
Christ,  to  have  Him  ever  before  me,  and  to  be  present 
in  spirit  with  Him,  the  ineffably  glorious  Son  of  God 
Incarnate.  I  want  to  realize  His  personality  —  His 
real  present  existence  —  to  have  it  more  of  a  fact  to 
my  soul.  My  desire  is  to  get  such  views  of  His  trans- 
cendent excellence  as  shall  set  me  above  all  danger 
of  preaching  myself  or  anything  but  Christ.  .  .  . 

In  May,  1849,  he  was  asked  to  go  to  Geneva,  where 
his  friend  and  kinsman,  Rev.  Mr.  Bulkley,  was  now 
pastor,  with  a  view  to  settlement  in  one  or  other  of  the 
vacant  parishes  in  the  vicinity.  He  visited  two  or 
three,  and  accepted  an  invitation  to  take  charge  for 
three  months  of  the  church  in  Ovid,  Seneca  County. 
The  result  of  his  work  there  was  an  unanimous  call 
which  he  decided  to  accept.  The  church  was  in  the 
county  town,  the  centre  of  a  large  and  wealthy  farming 
community.  He  writes  to  Miss  White  with  reference 
to  his  future  field  of  labor :  — 

OVID,  June,  1849. 

.  .  .  My  situation  here  appears  more  and  more  pleas- 
ant to  me,  —  certainly  as  far  as  externals  are  concerned ; 
yet  I  can  hardly  see  the  evidence  of  permanence. 
There  is  a  large  and  attentive  congregation,  many 


44  WORK  BEFORE  ORDINATION. 

young  people,  and  an  average  amount  of  intelligence ; 
but  all  over  this  region  there  is  a  mischievous  growth 
of  dislike  to  settled  pastorates.  The  querulousness  of 
some  when  talking  of  the  work  of  the  late  "  Dominie," 
as  the  parson  is  called  here,  leads  me  to  believe  that 
they  demand  of  one  man  more  than  a  cohort  of  angels 
could  do.  I  have  induced  the  people  to  change  the 
hour  of  afternoon  service.  This  followed  the  morning 
services,  with  barely  half  an  hour's  intermission.  Some 
are  dissatisfied,  and  wish  to  return  to  the  old  plan. 
Should  this  be  done,  I  doubt  if  I  can  remain ;  for,  to 
say  nothing  of  the  slow  slaughter  of  the  parson,  the 
cramming  and  packing  of  a  spiritual  dinner  close  upon 
a  spiritual  breakfast  is  enough  to  make  a  congregation 
of  spiritual  dyspeptics.  And  I  desire  no  such  bad  work 
for  my  hands.  .  .  . 

During  this  temporary  sojourn  in  Ovid,  an  acquaint- 
ance was  formed  which  resulted  in  one  of  the  closest 
friendships  of  his  life.  The  Rev.  Heman  Dyer,  D.  D., 
was  then  staying  in  Ovid  at  the  home  of  his  wife's 
father.  He  took  a  kindly  interest  in  the  young  minis- 
ter, —  an  interest  none  the  less  cordial,  that  one  was 
an  honored  presbyter  of  the  Episcopal  Church,  and  the 
other  a  mere  novice  in  another  branch  of  the  Church 
Catholic.  This  friendship,  ever  inspiring  and  invigor- 
ating, ripened  as  years  went  on  into  perfect  trust  and 
harmony,  and  was  counted  by  Dr.  Meier-Smith  as  one 
of  the  blessings  of  his  life.  There  was  never  a  break 
or  jar  in  it,  until  he,  so  much  the  younger,  was  called 
to  the  rest  of  Paradise;  while  in  strength  of  soul, 
though  in  bodily  weakness,  his  revered  friend  and 
counsellor  awaits  his  summons  in  the  holy  calm  of 
the  "land  of  Beulah." 


WORK  BEFORE  ORDINATION.  45 

After  accepting  the  call  to  Ovid,  Mr.  Meier-Smith 
was  in  New  York  for  a  few  weeks,  and  in  the  first 
letter  to  Miss  White,  after  his  return  he  writes: 

OVID,  October  16th. 

...  I  reached  our  destination  on  Saturday,  safe  and 
sound  and  happy.  Upon  landing,  I  felt  blue  and 
dreary  ;  but  reaching  the  village  and  getting  in  sight 
of  the  church,  the  clouds  were  blown  away,  and  the 
consciousness  that  I  was  in  the  right  place,  and  that 
our  prayers  were  answered,  gave  me  great  peace  and 
satisfaction.  I  was  warmly  and  affectionately  received, 
and  have  reason  every  hour  to  be  grateful  for  friendly 
words  and  looks.  My  kind  friend,  Mr.  Joy,  took  me 
to  his  own  house,  where  everything  is  done  to  make 
it  pleasant  for  me.  Mr.  Joy  could  not  do  more  for 
me  if  I  were  his  own  son.  On  Sunday  I  preached 
with  great  pleasure  and  comfort  in  my  own  church, 
to  my  own  people.  The  congregations  were  good  and 
attentive. 

To  Miss   White. 

OVID,  October  18th. 

.  .  .  My  ordination  will  probably  take  place  on  the 
23d  inst.  Oh  how  much  I  shall  need  your  prayers 
and  sympathies,  my  dearest  one,  on  that  day  !  To  think 
that  I,  a  sinner,  so  weak,  so  prone  to  err,  so  inexperi- 
enced, should  be  invested  with  such  high  office  in  the 
church  of  Christ !  What  am  I,  or  what  is  my  father's 
house  ?  Oh  that  on  that  day  I  may  experience  a  hither- 
to unknown  baptism  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  go  forth 
in  new  strength  and  grace  to  make  full  proof  of  my 
ministry ! 


V. 

ORDINATION  AND  MAEEIAGE. 
THE  FIRST  PARISH.     1849-1850. 

ON  the  23d  of  October,  1849,  Matson  Meier-Smith 
was  ordained  to  the  work  of  the  Ministry  by  the 
Presbytery  of  Geneva,  and  installed  pastor  of  the  con- 
gregation in  Ovid.     The  sermon  was  preached  by  his 
friend,  the  Rev.  E.  A.  Bulkley. 

He  wrote  of  this  service  to  Miss  White,  — 

OVID,  October  25, 1849. 

The  service  was  in  my  own  church,  the  congregation 
was  large,  and  a  deep  solemnity  pervaded  the  assembly. 
May  God  send  his  perpetual  blessing  upon  the  delight- 
ful, yet  fearful  relation  now  consummated !  Your  last 
received  gave  me  great  cause  for  thankfulness.  I  bless 
God  the  Spirit  for  whatever  love  to  Christ  and  consecra- 
tion He  has  implanted  in  your  soul !  .  .  .  I  know  that 
it  will  be  a  trial  to  my  dear  one  to  leave  that  precious 
home,  and  go  to  the  land  of  the  stranger.  I  have  found 
it  a  severe  one  for  myself,  and  can  sympathize  deeply 
with  you.  Often  will  tears  fill  your  eyes  at  the  thought 
that  you  are  absent  from  the  circle  of  your  affections 
and  early  attachments ;  often  will  the  musical  voice 
of  mother  or  father  wake  you  from  blissful  dreams  to 
the  consciousness  that  they  are  far  away,  —  but  you  will 
find  yourself  amply  repaid  for  every  sacrifice  in  the  con- 


ORDINATION  AND  MARRIAGE.  47 

sciousness  of  being  in  the  place  of  Christ's  appointment, 
in  the  moral  elevation  attained  by  those  who  sunder 
tender  ties  for  Christ's  work,  and  in  the  more  rapid 
development  of  character  and  usefulness  as  Christian 
woman  and  wife.  And  you  may  be  sure  of  this,  that 
if  the  attentions  and  affection  of  a  devoted  husband, 
to  the  utmost  consistent  with  his  duties  to  his  Master, 
can  palliate  any  pain  of  soul,  you  will  never  know 
unmitigated  sorrow. 

How  this  loving  promise  was  fulfilled,  let  the  long 
years  that  followed  bear  witness,  with  their  lights  and 
shadows,  their  abundance  of  labors,  and  their  full  weight 
of  care,  anxiety,  and  sorrow. 

To  Miss  White. 

OVID,  November  1. 

I  contemplate  the  future  with  much  satisfaction. 
There  will  undoubtedly  be  many  things  — among  others, 
homesickness  —  often  annoying;  but  many  other  things, 
new  and  strange  to  you,  will  be  sources  of  amusement  to 
our  very  philosophical  minds.  There  will  be  inconven- 
iences, but  I  shall  trust  you  to  shorten  up  some  very 
natural  long-facedness,  and  take  them  as  good  jokes  as 
I  have  learned  to  do ;  and  the  wants  in  view  of  which 
they  arise,  as  merely  citified,  artificial,  imaginary  wants. 
The  life  of  a  minister's  wife  you  will  possibly  find,  when 
common-sense  analyzes  and  compares  it  with  other  sta- 
tions, not  the  worst  life  in  the  world.  I  feel  happy  as 
a  pastor.  I  know  not  what  circumstances  may  arise, 
or  what  kind  of  consideration  there  may  be  among  my 
people,  but  independently  of  this,  "  I  magnify  my  office." 
Oh,  dearest  Mary,  may  we  have  grace  to  be  faithful  and 
efficient !  May  we  ever  be  to  each  other  what  we  may 


48  ORDINATION  AND   MARRIAGE. 

be !  May  the  God  of  our  fathers  establish  His  covenant 
with  us  and  with  ours  forever !  And  if  it  be  His  will, 
may  we,  oh  may  we  be  spared  long  to  each  other  on  the 
earth! 

On  the  14th  of  November,  1849,  Matson  Meier-Smith 
and  Mary  Stuart  White  were  married,  the  grand-uncle 
of  the  bride,  Rev.  Samuel  Hanson  Cox,  D.  D ,  who, 
twenty-one  years  before,  had  married  her  parents,  being 
the  officiating  clergyman. 

Early  in  December  they  went  to  their  new  home. 
To  these  young  people,  accustomed  to  the  refinements 
of  city  life,  and  leaving  delightful  family  and  social  ties, 
this  remote  field  of  labor  —  four  times  as  far  from  New 
York  forty  years  ago  as  it  is  now  —  seemed  almost  like 
a  foreign  mission. 

The  town  of  Ovid  is  situated  on  a  high  ridge  over- 
looking the  beautiful  lakes  Seneca  and  Cayuga.  The 
first  impressions  of  the  arrival  at  the  future  home  are 
vividly  recalled.  The  young  minister  and  his  wife  came 
by  steamboat  through  Seneca  Lake,  landing  on  a  cold 
and  dreary  day.  Three  miles  in  the  distance,  the  vil- 
lage crowned  the  hill.  A  long  pier  ran  out  into  the 
lake ;  and  when  the  travellers  landed,  they  found  great 
difficulty  in  keeping  a  foothold  on  the  ice-covered  dock. 
A  solitary  vehicle  with  its  driver  was  the  only  sign  of 
life.  As  they  seated  themselves  for  the  long  drive  up 
the  hill,  was  it  strange  if  some  heart-sinking,  in  view 
of  the  happy  past  and  the  untried  future,  was  felt, — 
while  yet  strong  purpose  and  united  hands  nerved  them 
to  the  work  before  them  ? 

The  people  gave  a  cordial  welcome  to  their  young 
"  Dominie  "  (the  local  name  for  the  pastor)  and  his  wife. 
A  semi-housekeeping  was  set  up  in  three  small  rooms 


ORDINATION  AND  MARRIAGE.  49 

which  were  made  attractive  by  the  display  of  the  wed- 
ding gifts.  The  winter  months,  though  the  weather 
was  dreary  and  severe,  were  not  without  their  simple 
pleasures.  Mr.  Meier-Smith's  work  here  comprised 
the  oversight  of  a  large  and  somewhat  scattered  parish, 
with  two  and  sometimes  three  services  on  Sundays,  and 
lectures  upon  two  evenings  in  the  week.  The  con- 
gregations increased  rapidly,  and  much  attention  and 
seriousness  appeared.  There  were  many  young  people 
in  the  place,  and  they  gathered  around  their  young 
pastor  with  enthusiasm.  The  home  letters  were  full 
of  interest  in  the  work,  though  it  was  not  without  its 
discouragements.  The  sober,  elderly,  farming  folk  were 
somewhat  distrustful  of  a  young  city-bred  clergyman, 
and  any  new  methods ;  and  from  them  not  much  co- 
operation could  be  hoped  for. 

The  village  was  embodied  quietness  during  much  of 
the  winter.  The  Lecture  Lyceum  had  then  hardly 
established  itself  in  the  more  remote  country  towns, 
and  Ovid  was  not  enlivened  by  anything  of  the  kind. 
The  social  entertainments  were  of  no  more  exhilarating 
a  nature  than  now  and  then  a  sleighing  party,  or  a 
gathering  of  a  dozen  to  tea  to  meet  the  minister  and  his 
wife,  when  it  seemed  to  be  expected  that  the  social  en- 
tertainment of  the  evening  would  be  furnished  almost 
entirely  by  the  honored  guests. 

Many  things  afforded  much  amusement  to  those  to 
whom  such  an  experience  was  so  novel;  and  loving, 
prayerful  work  to  raise  the  tone  of  religious  life  in  the 
church  and  community  kept  the  hearts  warm  and  the 
heads  busy.  But  physical  discomfort  was  very  consid- 
erable. The  extremely  cold  weather,  and  the  entire 
unfitness  of  the  domestic  arrangements  to  insure  even 
a  moderate  degree  of  comfort,  told  seriously  upon  the 


50  ORDINATION  AND  MARRIAGE. 

health  of  the  young  wife,  and  it  was  soon  apparent  that 
this  first  parish  could  hardly  become  a  settlement. 

During  the  winter  much  religious  interest  followed 
sermons  and  services  of  peculiar  solemnity,  and  a  num- 
ber, especially  among  the  young  people,  were  added  to  the 
communion  of  the  church.  The  pastor  was  encouraged, 
and  found  his  time  and  sympathies  fully  taxed  with 
his  pulpit  preparation  and  pastoral  visitation.  One 
written  and  one  extemporaneous  sermon  was  usually 
preached  on  each  Sunday;  and  the  verdict  was,  as  given 
by  one  of  his  hearers,  "When  our  minister  writes  his 
sermons,  we  say  we  wish  he  would  always  write  them  ; 
and  then  when  he  preaches  without  any  notes,  we  say 
we  hope  he  will  never  use  them  again,"  —  which  para- 
doxical approbation  was  not  at  all  unsatisfactory  to  its 
subject. 

The  buoyancy  and  mirthfulness  which  belonged  to  Mr. 
Meier-Smith's  nature  were  a  great  help  to  him  and  to 
his  wife  during  the  somewhat  rough  experiences  of  this 
year.  When  the  insufficient  fare  provided  had  to  be 
supplemented  by  a  supper  in  their  own  rooms,  —  and 
very  privately,  for  fear  of  giving  offence,  —  a  merry 
picnic  was  improvised,  with  oysters  cooked  in  the  little 
stove,  and  French  coffee  which  had  to  be  covered 
tightly  as  it  steamed,  lest  its  fragrant  aroma  should 
tell  the  tale.  If  the  flavor  of  oysters  almost  a  week  old 
was  not  improved  by  the  smoke  of  the  wood  "air- 
tight," the  coffee  was  irreproachable,  and  no  schoolboy 
and  girl  ever  made  a  merrier  feast  in  secret. 

When  summer  came  there  was  much  enjoyment  from 
the  beautiful  scenery  and  surroundings  of  the  town, 
which  afforded  charming  drives,  commanding  views  of 
the  two  lakes,  between  which  rose  the  high  ridge  upon 
which  the  village  was  built,  or  through  forests  with 


ORDINATION  AND  MARRIAGE.  51 

trees  of  such  age  and  height   that  the  small  wagon 
could  be  easily  driven  under  their  branches. 

The  church  was  filled  by  attentive  congregations,  and 
continued  religious  interest  prevailed.  It  was  with  re- 
luctance that  the  decision  was  reached  to  resign  this  first 
pastorate,  already  endeared  by  promise  of  success  and 
usefulness,  and  accept  work  in  New  York.  The  severity 
of  the  winter  climate  was  a  principal  reason,  the  slow- 
ness of  the  parish  to  provide  a  suitable  home  for  the 
minister  was  another.  There  was  no  parsonage,  and  the 
parish,  though  wealthy,  was  indisposed  to  secure  one, 
and  no  house  was  available  for  renting.  During  the 
summer  Mr.  Meier-Smith  declined  proposals  from  a 
church  in  Syracuse,  New  York,  from  the  conviction 
that,  could  he  venture  another  winter  in  that  part  of 
the  State,  he  ought  not  to  leave  Ovid.  The  positive 
advice  of  physicians  with  regard  to  the  danger  to  his 
throat,  which  threatened  loss  of  voice,  and  the  man- 
ifest inability  of  his  wife  to  bear  the  harsh  winds  of 
the  winter,  brought  about  the  dissolution  of  his  pastorate 
in  September,  1850.  The  protests  and  letters  received 
from  all  classes  of  his  parishioners,  treasured  affection- 
ately by  him  throughout  his  life,  express  strongly  the 
general  regret  at  the  parting.  A  letter  received  more 
than  thirty  years  afterward  commences,  "  My  dear  and 
honored  pastor  of  the  olden  time."  From  it  an  extract 
is  taken  testifying  to  the  unusual  impression  this  young 
pastor  made  upon  his  people  during  the  year  he  minis- 
tered to  them :  — 

"  Time  has  not  effaced  from  our  memories  your  labors  of 
love  while  here,  and  you  still  hold  a  warm  place  in  the  hearts 
you  left.  Among  those  was  my  departed  brother.  He  re- 
membered every  sermon  you  preached,  the  chapters  in  the 
Bible  you  read  ;  and  in  looking  through  the  hymn-book  in 


52  ORDINATION  AND  MARRIAGE. 

his  last  illness,  he  would  often  say,  '  Here  is  one  of  Mr. 
Meier-Smith's  hymns.'  Have  you  forgotten  the  class  that 
met  in  your  study  on  Monday  afternoons]  Only  two  are 
left,  and  but  few  of  the  choir  that  so  loved  you,  —  but  to 
them  the  memory  is  very  precious  of  those  days.  Our  place 
and  people  have  greatly  changed.  We  have  had  nine  clergy- 
men since  you  left,  but  you  would  find  hearts  yet  warm  and 
true,  if  you  would  come  and  see  us.  Come  and  spend  a 
Sunday  with  us,  and  bring  a  sermon." 

Fifteen  months'  work  in  this  first  field  was  enough  to 
make  the  parting  hard,  especially  with  those  who  had 
been  brought  into  the  Church  through  his  ministry. 

The  stage-coach  which  bore  away  the  young  pastor 
and  his  wife  passed  through  a  long  line  of  vehicles  from 
all  parts  of  the  town,  containing  parishioners  young 
and  old  who  had  gathered  to  say  a  word  of  loving  fare- 
welL  It  was  nearly  twenty  years  before  he  revisited 
Ovid.  In  spite  of  the  great  changes,  there  were  not  a 
few  to  grasp  his  hand  in  affectionate  recognition,  and 
refer  to  some  word  or  act  of  his  which  had  been  an 
influence  for  good  through  all  these  years. 

The  winter  of  1850  and  1851  were  passed  in  New 
York.  In  the  month  of  October  came  the  joy  of  re- 
ceiving the  first-born  child,  a  son,  born  in  the  house  of 
his  grandfather  whose  name  he  received.  Mr.  Meier- 
Smith  was  invited  to  take  temporary  charge  of  the 
Sixth-Street  Presbyterian  Church,  pending  an  engage- 
ment to  consolidate  it  with  another  church.  The  grand- 
father of  his  wife,  Mr.  David  L.  Dodge,  and  her  uncle, 
Mr.  William  E.  Dodge,  were  elders  of  this  church,  and 
their  friendship  and  help  were  greatly  prized  by  their 
young  minister.  Mr.  Dodge,  senior,  was  a  remarkable 
man,  of  much  intellectual  vigor,  and  well  versed  in 
Bible  study.  He  was  an  active  and  devout  worker  in 


ORDINATION  AND   MARRIAGE.  53 

the  church,  and  prominent  during  a  long  life  among 
Christian  laymen.  He  was  a  ready  writer  upon  theo- 
logical and  ethical  subjects,  a  man  of  original  and  inflex- 
ible opinions,  and  in  all  respects  a  marked  character.  A 
warm  attachment  sprang  up  between  the  venerable  elder 
and  his  young  kinsman  pastor,  which  continued  until  the 
death  of  Mr.  Dodge  a  few  years  later.  At  the  request 
of  his  family,  Mr.  Meier-Smith  edited  his  autobiography 
and  some  of  his  theological  and  prophetical  studies. 

The  memory  of  William  E.  Dodge  is  yet  so  fresh  and 
precious  to  all  who  knew  him,  that  to  name  him  is  a 
sufficient  suggestion  of  what  his  friendship  and  help 
must  have  been  to  any  one  associated  with  him  in  re- 
ligious or  church  work.  Then  in  the  prime  of  middle 
age,  he  realized  the  ideal  of  lay  support  to  a  clergyman. 
His  untiring  activity  and  zeal  were  tempered  with  such 
beautiful  warmth  and  simplicity  of  manner,  that  he 
gave  no  offence  to  those  who  differed  with  him,  and  his 
leadership  was  willingly  followed.  He  had  already  won 
the  position  he  held  so  long  among  influential  citizens 
and  Christians.  His  friendship  was  prominent  among 
the  circumstances  which  made  this  winter  in  New  York 
a  restful  and  refreshing  season. 

The  work  in  this  church  proved  helpful  and  stimu- 
lating just  at  this  time,  as  the  intellectual  character  of 
the  congregation  encouraged  thoughtful  study  and  ser- 
mon making;  and  in  the  spring  the  young  minister 
found  himself  better  equipped  for  a  permanent  field  of 
labor  than  he  could  have  hoped  a  year  before. 

Two  little  incidents  of  this  winter  he  often  related. 
Once,  when  an  appeal  was  to  be  made  for  some  good 
cause,  as  the  pulpit  of  the  little  church  did  not  afford 
room  for  two,  Mr.  Meier-Smith  took  his  seat  in  Mr. 
William  E.  Dodge's  pew,  leaving  the  field  for  his  visit- 


54  ORDINATION  AND  MARRIAGE. 

ing  brother.  Before  the  speaker  commenced,  Mr.  Dodge 
took  a  small  piece  of  paper  and  wrote  his  contribution 
upon  it.  In  the  course  of  the  address,  as  the  urgent 
needs  were  forcibly  stated,  Mr.  Dodge,  evidently  moved 
with  emotion,  took  the  paper  which  lay  folded  before 
him  and  added  one  stroke  of  the  pencil.  Afterward, 
assisting  to  count  the  collection,  the  minister  saw  that 
the  original  sum  in  the  tens  had  been  raised  to  hun- 
dreds by  the  addition  of  a  cipher. 

The  other  incident  was  the  presence  one  Sunday  morn- 
ing among  his  hearers  of  the  celebrated  singer,  Jenny 
Lind.  She  was  then  in  the  height  of  her  first  triumphs 
in  America ;  and  her  fine  character,  as  well  as  her  won- 
derful voice,  called  out  more  enthusiasm  from  all  classes 
than  has  been  exhibited  for  any  of  her  successors ;  while 
her  refusal  then  to  sing  in  opera  made  her  the  especial 
favorite  of  the  religious  part  of  the  community.  She 
sought  this  little  church  on  this  occasion,  having  heard 
that  her  friend,  the  Eev.  Dr.  Baird,  was  to  preach.  He, 
however,  was  unable  to  fulfil  his  engagement,  and  she 
listened  instead  to  a  simple  exposition  from  the  young 
and  unknown  minister  in  charge,  thanking  him  after- 
ward for  the  sermon  with  a  winning  grace  very  gratify- 
ing to  the  preacher,  who  may  be  forgiven  for  confessing 
that  he  did  not  altogether  forget,  while  delivering  it, 
the  bright  and  changing  face  of  his  famous  hearer. 

Several  prospective  openings  came  before  him  in  the 
spring  of  1851,  and  in  May  he  accepted  a  call  to  the 
Harvard  Congregational  Church,  in  Brookline,  a  suburb 
of  Boston.  It  was  not  without  hesitation  that  this 
change  of  ecclesiastical  position  was  made ;  but  he  was 
assured  that  he  could  assume  charge  of  the  church  to 
which  he  was  called,  without  professing  a  preference 
for  the  Congregational  form  of  government  over  that  of 


ORDINATION  AND  MARRIAGE.  55 

the  Presbyterian  in  which  he  had  been  educated.  As 
the  invitation  was  cordial  and  unanimous,  and  the  work 
prospectively  just  what  he  desired,  he  accepted  the  call, 
inspired  with  hope,  and  grateful  for  the  promise  of 
enlarged  usefulness. 


VI. 

BKOOKLINE  DAYS. 

1851-1854. 

ON  the  5th  of  June,  1851,  Mr.  Meier-Smith  was  in- 
stalled pastor  of  the  Harvard  Congregational 
Church  in  Brookline,  Massachusetts. 

The  Rev.  R.  S.  Storrs,  of  Brooklyn,  a  former  pastor 
of  the  church,  preached  the  sermon,  and  the  young 
minister's  "spiritual  father,"  the  beloved  Dr.  Kirk,  of 
Boston,  gave  the  personal  charge. 

The  fact  that  the  candidate  was  an  ordained  minister 
in  a  church  closely  affiliated  in  doctrine  to  the  Ortho- 
dox Congregational  Communion  of  New  England,  did 
not  exempt  him  from  a  searching  examination  in  the- 
ology and  church  polity  by  the  Council  called  for  the 
installation. 

He  discerned  at  this  early  stage  of  his  new  experi- 
ence the  influence  of  Unitarianism  upon  those  profess- 
ing to  hold  the  Orthodox  standards  in  regard  to  church 
government  and  the  sacraments ;  and  planting  himself 
on  those  standards,  he  sustained  the  examination  with  a 
firmness  and  decision  which  elicited  strong  expressions 
of  approval  from  many  present,  among  whom  were  the 
leading  members  of  his  new  charge.  Ingenious  efforts 
were  made,  especially  by  some  lay  members  of  the 
Council,  to  call  out  an  expression  of  preference  for,  or 
at  least  entire  satisfaction  with,  Congregational  Church 


BROOKLINE  DAYS.  57 

Government.  This  effort  was  met  by  appeals  to  Scrip- 
ture and  church  history,  so  aptly  and  sometimes  so 
humorously  presented  as  to  silence  his  questioners 
without  offending  them.  A  prominent  Congregation- 
alist  present,  when  asked  what  was  the  young  minis- 
ter's position  on  this  point,  replied,  "  It  was  summed  up 
in  his  telling  us  that  he  did  not  think  either  the  New 
Testament  or  church  history  was  written  to  propagate 
Congregationalism."  Nevertheless,  as  he  then  under- 
stood the  system,  he  believed  he  could  conscientiously 
work  under  it.  Thus,  with  flying  colors  and  with  zeal 
and  hopefulness,  he  entered  upon  his  work,  —  the  first 
he  had  essayed  which  promised  permanence. 

Socially,  the  field  was  very  inviting.  As  a  place  of 
residence,  Brookline  was  one  of  the  most  attractive  of 
the  suburbs  of  Boston.  A  pretty  parsonage  awaited 
the  young  family  ;  and  kind  attentions,  flowing  in  upon 
them  without  stint,  testified  to  the  heartiness  with 
which  the  new  pastor  was  welcomed.  Culture  and 
refinement  were  on  every  side;  and  the  community 
was  a  thoughtful  and  religious  one,  free  from  the 
excitements  of  fashionable  city  life. 

The  mistress  of  the  parsonage,  with  youthful  enthu- 
siasm, wrote  to  the  home  circle  within  the  first  month : 
"  You  know  enough  of  my  mind  and  my  taste  to  im- 
agine how  things  look  when  I  tell  you  that  place, 
church,  parsonage,  and  people,  each  in  their  way,  are 
the  realization  of  my  beau  ideal.  We  feel  happy  in 
the  prospect  of  remaining  here  a  lifetime,  if  Providence 
so  orders  our  way,  and  this  is  what  we  hardly  had 
grace  enough  to  feel  at  Ovid.  We  could  be  ivilling, 
but  not  with  heart-pleasure."  She  remembers  the 
fervor  of  the  prayer  so  often  uplifted  by  her  husband, 
that  the  delightful  outward  circumstances  might  not 


58  BROOKLINE  DAYS. 

so  fill  the  vision  that  the  great  and  serious  purpose 
of  the  life  before  them  should  be  obscured. 

Some  of  the  most  active  intellectual  work  of  Mr. 
Meier-Smith's  life  now  commenced.  The  necessity  for 
meeting  the  needs  of  a  thoughtful  and  educated  con- 
gregation, three  or  four  times  every  week,  stimulated 
earnest  and  conscientious  study;  and  the  parish  was 
not  large  enough  to  need  too  great  an  expenditure  of 
time  and  strength  in  parochial  care.  Clerical  society 
was  congenial  and  helpful,  vigorous  young  men  being 
in  charge  of  parishes  contiguous ;  and  in  Boston  there 
were  older  brethren  to  call  upon  for  advice  and  assist- 
ance. It  was  not  his  nature  to  rush  precipitately  into 
changes,  or  improvements  upon  the  past.  He  rather 
surveyed  the  ground  quietly,  and  planned  new  lines 
of  work  slowly ;  and  by  causing  the  need  of  them  to 
be  felt,  carried  his  points.  His  bright  and  cheerful 
disposition,  warm  hand-clasp,  and  ready  smile,  were 
almost  irresistible ;  and  when  his  mind  was  made  up 
to  any  course,  it  was  not  often  that  he  met  with  serious 
opposition. 

Among  the  first  things  which  engaged  his  attention, 
was  the  "  Confession  of  Faith,"  peculiar  to  the  Harvard 
Church,  and  to  which  assent  was  required  of  those 
seeking  admission  to  its  communion  and  fellowship. 
It  seemed  to  him  most  ill-judged  and  unfitting,  that 
when  receiving  persons  for  the  first  time  to  the  Holy 
Communion,  they  must  stand  before  him  in  the  pres- 
ence of  the  congregation,  while,  to  use  his  own  lan- 
guage, he  "read  at  them  a  long  statement  expressing 
profound  belief  in  Adam,  and  very  little  in  Christ." 
Certain  Calvinistic  doctrines,  expressed  in  language  now 
almost  obsolete,  were  quite  beyond  the  comprehension 
of  many  candidates.  Members  of  the  church  admitted 


BROOKLINE   DAYS.  59 

that  "  no  one  believed  them,",  and  that  it  was  a  mere 
form  adhered  to  for  old  association's  sake.  An  element 
of  absurdity  was  not  wanting,  sometimes,  as  when  on 
one  occasion,  the  candidates  were  two  lads  of  fourteen 
years  of  age,  who  were  not  only  required  to  signify 
assent  to  theological  statements,  but  to  promise  to 
"  order  their  households  religiously,  and  bring  up  their 
children  in  the  same  faith ! "  The  pastor  was  much 
gratified  when,  after  some  months  of  study  and  discus- 
sion, the  church  consented  to  lay  aside  the  old  and 
clumsy  "  Confession,"  and  to  substitute  a  simple  state- 
ment of  evangelical  faith  drawn  up  by  himself.  His 
preference  would  have  been  to  limit  the  confession  to 
the  Apostles'  and  Nicene  Creeds,  but  this  was  too  radi- 
cal a  change. 

His  thorough  and  exhaustive  investigation  of  this 
subject  he  regarded  as  the  laying  of  one  of  the  foun- 
dation stones  for  the  change  in  his  church  position 
made  so  many  years  afterward.  From  this  time  he 
took  strong  ground  against  demanding  any  extra-Scrip- 
tural conditions  for  admission  to  the  Lord's  Table,  or 
other  privileges  of  his  church. 

During  the  first  three  years  of  his  pastorate,  Brook- 
line  was  rapidly  growing ;  and  he  had  the  satisfaction 
of  watching  increasing  congregations,  and  seeing  the 
vigor  of  new  life  in  his  little  church  as  it  gradually 
gathered  to  itself  many  of  the  best  of  the  new  resi- 
dents. He  was  personally  attractive  to  strangers,  as 
his  ever  cordial  manner  and  ready  welcome  made  them 
feel  themselves  at  home  at  once.  This  was  before  the 
days  of  numerous  parish  organizations,  guilds,  clubs, 
and  the  like  ;  but  he  drew  to  himself  the  younger  part 
of  his  people,  and  urged  upon  them  united  effort 
in  various  directions,  guiding  them  personally,  both 


60  BROOKLINE   DAYS. 

religiously  and  socially.  A  class  of  ladies  met  at  the 
parsonage  for  the  study  of  the  evidences  of  Christian- 
ity; and  a  course  of  lectures  on  early  church  history, 
illustrated  by  charts  of  his  own  drawing,  was  kept  up 
vigorously  for  two  years. 

Once  a  month  a  catechetical  instruction  for  children 
was  given,  and  a  short  sermon  preached.  This  was 
an  innovation,  such  services  for  children  being  then  un- 
usual The  Sunday-school  which  he  found  connected 
with  his  church  was  of  a  character  quite  new  to  him, 
peculiar  as  it  was  to  New  England,  and  especially  to 
Massachusetts.  More  than  half  of  the  classes  consisted 
of  adult  members  of  the  congregation,  gathered  around 
one  of  their  number  whom  they  elected  as  leader ;  and 
they  pursued  Bible  study  in  any  direction  they  fan- 
cied, sometimes,  the  pastor  thought,  on  lines  more 
unique  than  instructive.  The  "  pillars  of  the  church," 
including  the  deacons,  were  gathered  in  these  classes ; 
and  it  seemed  as  if  the  little  ones  were  almost  forgot- 
ten. In  fact,  not  much  effort  was  made  for  the  class 
for  whom  the  Sunday-school  was  originally  intended. 

The  lambs  of  the  flock  were  always  near  to  the  lov- 
ing heart  of  him  whom  we  are  trying  to  portray  in 
these  pages.  He  could  not  rest  until  through  earnest 
effort,  seconded  by  some  devoted  young  helpers,  he 
filled  all  the  empty  spaces  of  the  Sunday-school  room 
with  children,  many  of  whom  came  from  families  not 
connected  with  any  church,  and  inclined  to  avoid 
Harvard  Church,  from  an  impression  that  its  congre- 
gation was  select  and  aristocratic.  The  first  Christmas 
festival  the  Sunday-school  had  ever  celebrated,  took 
place  in  the  parsonage  in  the  first  year  of  his  residence. 
This  festival  was  yet  something  of  an  exotic,  having 
scarcely  taken  root  in  New  England. 


BROOKLINE   DAYS.  61 

Another  effort  was  in  the  direction  of  enlivening 
the  social  services  for  conference  and  prayer.  Before 
many  months  his  lecture-room  was  crowded  on  Sun- 
day evenings,  in  consequence  of  a  plan  he  adopted  for 
answering  questions  and  discussing  topics  of  interest. 
A  box  was  placed  in  the  vestibule,  and  inquiries  on 
religious  subjects  of  personal  or  general  interest  were 
dropped  therein.  On  the  following  Sunday  evening 
the  questions  were  read,  short  answers  given  to  such 
as  could  be  quickly  disposed  of,  and  one  or  two  were 
taken  as  a  theme  for  a  more  careful  discussion  or  fa- 
miliar lecture.  The  ready  grasp  he  had  of  a  subject, 
—  the  power  of  getting  at  the  kernel,  so  to  speak, — 
came  out  forcibly  in  these  popular  services  for  instruc- 
tion. Among  those  who  attended,  were  members  of 
the  Episcopal  and  Unitarian  congregations  of  Brook- 
line,  and  not  a  few  from  Boston  churches. 

At  this  time  Mr.  Meier-Smith  was  of  slight  figure, 
active  in  movement,  and  sanguine  in  temperament. 
He  had  a  laughing  blue  eye  and  a  merry  smile  which 
was  contagious  as  it  lighted  up  his  entire  face.  No 
one  knew  it  if  he  was  ever  ruffled  in  spirit,  for  his 
bright  amiability  never  deserted  him,  even  when  he 
met  opposition.  So  much  of  the  "  charity  which  think- 
eth  no  evil "  filled  his  heart  that  though  sensitive  and 
sympathetic  in  an  unusual  degree,  he  was  slow  to  take 
offence,  and  invariably  saw  the  best  in  a  man.  If  so 
much  perverseness  prevailed  that  he  failed  to  find  the 
good  points,  he  still  declared  that  they  were  there,  and 
he  turned  the  edge  of  many  a  sharp  or  ill-tempered 
remark  with  a  ready  and  humorous  retort,  born  of  a 
capacity  for  seeing  the  ludicrous  side  of  almost  every- 
thing disagreeable. 

Without  an  element   of  sensationalism   in  manner 


62  BROOKLINE  DAYS. 

or  style,  he  was  popular  as  a  preacher,  and  was  wel- 
comed in  neighboring  pulpits  when  exchanging  with 
his  brethren.  His  sermons  were  thoroughly  prepared ; 
his  well-informed  congregation  would  not  have  rel- 
ished any  others,  and  he  was  always  a  conscientious 
workman.  Looking  over  his  record  of  sermons  writ- 
ten and  preached  during  the  first  three  years  in  Brook- 
line,  there  appears  a  marked  absence  of  any  "  tricks  " 
to  catch  attention,  such  as  unusual  texts,  or  ad  cap- 
tandum  themes.  Evangelical,  in  the  true  sense  of  the 
much-abused  word,  applies  to  nearly  all  his  sermons. 
Repentance,  faith,  Christian  fidelity,  the  great  facts  of 
the  incarnation  and  life  of  our  Lord,  —  these  were  pre- 
sented in  varying  forms,  but  never  with  uncertain  ring. 

Nothing  could  be  more  cordial  than  the  relations 
of  pastor  and  people.  To  his  wife  he  once  said, 
"Such  smooth  sailing  cannot  last.  Let  us  take  it  as 
a  time  of  preparation  for  some  other  discipline  that 
must  surely  come  to  us.  We  must  grow  strong  in 
the  sunshine,  that  we  may  not  succumb  to  the  storm." 

Mr.  Meier-Smith  took  a  leading  position  in  Brookline 
in  matters  affecting  the  public  interest.  The  old  New 
England  custom  of  placing  clergymen  in  the  front,  espe- 
cially in  educational  interests,  still  prevailed  in  Massa- 
chusetts. He  was  an  active  member  of  the  school 
board,  and  zealous  in  promoting  reforms  and  raising 
the  standard  of  education.  During  his  term  of  service 
he  urged  the  erection  of  new  school  buildings  with 
modern  improvements,  and  had  the  satisfaction  of  see- 
ing the  substantial  results  of  enlarged  financial  appro- 
priations, and  of  much  devotion  of  time  and  thought 
to  the  work. 

Among  letters  to  his  parents  written  during  this 
period  is  one  to  his  mother  dated  Jail.  29,  1852 :  — 


BROOKLINE   DAYS.  63 

...  A  letter  was  received  from  you  this  morning, 
and  was  most  welcome,  as  are  all  your  letters.  I  had 
no  idea  that  my  dear  father  had  been  so  seriously  ill. 
I  trust  that  he  is  now  better,  as  the  indications  were. 

The  frail  tenure  we  have  upon  life  in  this  world  is 
a  subject  often  before  my  mind,  and  when  it  is  most 
realized,  then  how  full  of  meaning  those  words  of  the 
great  Eesurrection  and  the  Life,  "  He  that  believeth  in 
Me  shall  never  die."  I  interpret  this  passage  not  with 
reference  to  eternal  death  solely,  but  with  reference  to 
temporal;  at  least  there  is  a  thought  suggested  which 
is  most  precious  to  the  spirit.  So  far  as  death  is  an 
idea  containing  elements  of  horror,  so  far  the  man 
whose  faith  is  full  in  Jesus  shall  not  experience  it. 
So  far  as  it  is  an  act  of  passing  from  one  sphere  of 
activity  to  another,  so  far  it  shall  be  realized. 

But  the  cross  and  the  risen  Saviour,  and  the  life 
and  immortality  brought  to  light,  have  displaced  the 
gloomy  elements,  and  filling  the  soul  with  assurance 
and  triumph,  they  make  what  to  Nature  is  the  awful 
passage,  only  a  stepping-stone  from  one  place  to  an- 
other, —  from  ship  to  shore,  from  earth  to  where 
God  can  be  served  with  perfect  service  and  elevated 
powers ;  and  as  such  not  to  be  dreaded  in  itself  more 
than  the  transit  from  any  one  spot  to  any  other  on 
the  earth.  To  present  the  thought  in  another  light, 
religion  or  the  service  of  Christ  is  to  the  Christian 
an  end  in  itself,  not  simply  a  means  to  an  end.  We 
delight  in  it,  and  make  it  the  main  business  of  life, 
loving  it  for  its  own  sake  and  because  it  is  right,  not 
chiefly  because  we  think  it  is  necessary  for  future 
happiness. 

When  one  embarks  in  this  service  it  is  for  eternity, 
and  the  idea  is,  serve  God  now  and  ever,  here  or  else- 


64  BROOKLIXE  DAYS. 

where,  and  make  this  service  the  whole  business  forever. 
Death  is  not  even  an  interruption  to  this  service,  it  is 
only  the  door  which  opens  to  a  higher  station.  So  I 
try  to  view  the  subject.  As  a  Christian  I  chose  the 
service  of  Christ,  not  caring  much  whether  He  called 
me  to  the  service  of  the  merchant,  the  lawyer,  or  doc- 
tor. When  invested  with  the  ministry,  the  question  of 
place  was  the  most  unimportant  one,  and  the  one  I  tried 
to  leave  in  His  hands. 

He  sent  me  to  Ovid,  and  then  removed  me  to  Brook- 
line.  I  stay  here  until  he  summons  me  elsewhere.  In 
my  right  senses  and  frame,  I  care  not  when  or  whither. 
If  to  New  York,  or  to  Philadelphia,  or  to  heaven, 
whether  a  mission  to  China,  or  a  mission  of  a  thousand 
years  to  distant  Saturn  to  tell  of  redemption  in  this 
world,  —  it  matters  not  to  me.  The  railway  would  be 
the  means  of  getting  to  New  York,  the  ship  to  China, 
the  putting  off  this  mortal  is  the  passageway  to  a  supe- 
rior sphere.  "  He  that  believeth  in  Me  shall  never  die." 
Saint  Paul  says,  "  Mortality  is  swallowed  up  of  life" 

Precious  to  me  is  the  blessing  of  such  views,  and  if 
not  unfamiliar  to  my  parents,  they  will  be  ever  new 
and  refreshing,  as  often  as  contemplated. 

With  very  much  love  to  all,  I  am 

Your  MATSON. 

In  the  parsonage,  the  family  at  the  close  of  the  year 
1852  numbered  four,  as  a  little  daughter  came  bringing 
new  brightness  into  the  home.  To  a  friend  he  said, 
when  this  event  occurred,  "A  man  is  proud  when  he  is 
the  father  of  a  son,  but  he  is  happy  when  he  is  the  father 
of  a  daughter."  When  this  little  one  was  but  a  few 
days  old,  there  occurred  great  cause  for  thankfulness 
in  a  narrow  escape  from  the  terrors  of  fire.  Mr.  Meier- 


BROOKLINE  DAYS.  65 

Smith  sat  late  in  his  study  one  night,  and  was  about 
retiring,  when  a  slight  sound  attracted  his  attention  to 
the  kitchen.  On  opening  the  door  he  found  a  vigorous 
fire  in  progress,  commencing  with  some  garments  hang- 
ing to  dry,  but  already  reaching  to  the  ceiling  and 
woodwork  of  the  room.  A  few  pails  of  water,  always 
standing  ready  for  such  an  emergency,  extinguished  the 
flames  without  the  sleeping  family's  knowledge  of  their 
danger.  But  had  he  not  gone  to  the  room  at  the  time, 
the  small  frame  building  must  certainly  have  been  de- 
stroyed, for  it  was  a  cold  and  blowing  winter  night,  and 
the  village  had  no  efficient  fire  department. 

There  are  few  letters  accessible  written  during  these 
years.  His  friend,  Dr.  Dyer,  with  whom  his  intimacy 
increased,  was  often  called  to  Boston,  and  was  then  a 
frequent  guest  at  Harvard  Parsonage.  Letters  full  of 
life  and  humor  passed  between  them,  and  of  these  the 
following  is  an  example.  It  was  written  in  the  spring 
of  1852,  on  the  occasion  of  a  proposed  visit  of  Dr.  Dyer 
to  Europe,  with  the  offer  of  a  letter  of  introduction  to 
the  Hon.  William  B.  Kinney,  United  States  Minister  at 
the  Court  of  Sardinia,  whose  accomplished  wife,  the 
mother  of  Edmund  Clarence  Stedman,  was  the  aunt  of 
Mrs.  Meier-Smith.  War  clouds  were  already  darken- 
ing the  horizon,  and  the  mutterings  of  the  storm  which 
two  years  later  descended,  involving  Russia,  England, 
France,  and  Italy,  were  heard  in  the  distance.  This 
explains  allusions  in  the  letter:  — 

.  .  .  We  both  hope  you  will  get  to  Turin  and  see  our 
distinguished  relatives.  I  am  sure  you  will  enjoy  the 
interview  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kinney  very  much.  He  is 
the  Coleridge  of  America  for  conversational  powers  and 
fascination ;  she,  one  of  the  most  classic  of  our  female 
5 


66  BROOKLINE  DAYS. 

poets,  with  the  usual  woman's  heart  in  all  seasons, 
whether  under  the  "  Inspiration  "  or  not.  .  .  .  And  you 
are  really  going  to  see  the  menagerie,  are  you  ?  Take 
care  that  the  old  Bull  (which  his  name  is  John)  don't 
get  into  fits  while  you  are  there,  because  the  frog-eater 
tries  to  mount  his  back  and  gallop  to  the  universal 
domi-nation.  And  do  keep  out  of  the  way  in  case  there 
should  be  a  hugging  match  between  the  old  "  Bear/' 
the  "  Duke,"  and  the  rest  of  the  beasts.  I  might  give 
you  a  letter  to  Dr. ,  as  you  are  going  to  Switzer- 
land, —  only  he  don't  know  me,  and  I  doubt  the  utility 

of  any  such  missive.     Eev.  R  B and  his  family 

are  in  London  now.  They  might  introduce  you  to  Her 
Majesty.  They  know  all  about  her  and  her  ancestors, 
having  taught  school  so  long.  .  .  . 

Well,  God  preserve  and  bless  you  both,  —  "  Mizpah !  " 
—  and  may  His  wing  shadow  your  children  while  you 
are  absent,  through  our  Lord  and  Saviour. 
Affectionately  yours, 

MATSON  MEIER-SMITH, 

"  Episcopus." 

A  cordial  friendship  existed  between  the  pastor  of 
Harvard  Church  and  the  Rev.  Dr.  John  S.  Stone,  at 
that  time  rector  of  St.  Paul's  Church,  Brookline.  Dr. 
Stone  was  a  distinguished  writer  and  preacher,  and  a 
man  of  a  lovely  catholic  spirit  that  knew  no  bounds  of 
ecclesiasticism.  He  was  lively  and  playful  in  social  in- 
tercourse, and  was  wont  to  address  his  young  brother 
as  "  My  Bishop,"  in  humorous  allusion  to  Presbyterian 
claims. 

Dr.  Dyer  and  Dr.  Stone  were  intimate  friends,  and 
on  one  occasion  Mr.  Meier-Smith,  entering  the  rectory 
library,  found  these  two  eminent  churchmen  engaged 


BROOKLINE   DAYS.  67 

in  a  literal  wrestling  match  with  all  the  vigor  of  a  pair  of 
school-boys.  Recovering  from  his  surprise  he  entered 
the  fray  himself,  and  declared  that  though  but  a  militia 
man,  in  their  view,  he  had  brought  these  officers  of  the 
regular  army  to  speedy  discomfiture. 

A  letter  to  his  wife,  during  her  absence  from  home, 
gives  an  intimation  of  a  method  of  answering  questions 
upon  ethical  subjects  always  characteristic  of  him. 

BBOOKLIN-E,  April  26,  1852. 

...  I  had  yesterday  a  delightful  Lord's  Day ;  it  was 
one  of  the  days  "  the  Lord  hath  made."  Congregations 
good.  My  morning  sermon  upon  the  "New  Creature 
in  Christ,"  appeared  to  be  liked.  In  the  afternoon  I 
preached  from  Proverbs  v.  11,  12.  It  was  a  little  in 
"  Dream  Life  "  style.  I  Ve  half  a  mind  to  write  a  religious 
"Dream  Life."  Do  you  think  my  genius  adequate? 
In  the  evening  I  talked  about  the  Sabbath  and  keeping 
it.  In  answer  to  the  very  common  question,  "  Is  this 
breaking  the  Sabbath,  the  holy  day  ?  Can  I  do  this 
or  that,  and  not  sin  ? "  I  advanced  the  doctrine  that  to 
holy  beings  duty  and  privilege  are  intimately  related,  in- 
deed are  synonymous  terms.  God's  law  tells  the  Chris- 
tian his  privilege  and  honor,  —  that  is,  what  he  may  do, 
—  and  is  not  to  be  construed  as  must  do,  though  it  im- 
plies the  latter.  "We  should  be  so  delighted  with  the 
privilege  of  being  holy  and  serving  God,  and  so  grateful 
that  we  are  not  left  to  hopeless  spiritual  death,  or  sin's 
bondage,  that  we  should  esteem  God's  commands  as  our 
charter  of  liberties,  and  not  as  a  set  of  restrictions. 

After  service  until  midnight,  I  had  a  grand  chat  with 
our  friends  in  Linden  Place  upon  heavenly  things,  and 
some  of  the  mysteries  of  redemption.  We  talked  also 
upon  the  inspiration  of  the  Bible.  I  declare  I  think 


68  BROOKLINE  DAYS. 

that  however  wonderful  may  seem  the  idea  of  the  Bible 
being  from  above,  if  we  view  it  otherwise  and  deny  its 
divine  origin,  it  is  a  greater  wonder  yet. 

To  his  Wife. 

BROOKLINE,  April  11,  1852. 

...  I  wish  my  little  wife  would  not  reproach  herself 
for  any  fancied  or  real  shortcomings.  Love  is  in  spite 
of  failings,  if  not  strengthened  by  them.  Certainly  it 
is  strengthened  by  commiseration  and  sympathy  when 
the  failings  occur  in  the  midst  of  a  sincere  conflict 
against  them  and  all  sin.  And  if  you  have  faith  in 
God's  assured  forgiveness  through  the  blood  of  Jesus, 
for  any  unwilling  sin,  you  should,  dearest,  honor  God  by 
acquiescing  in  his  forgiveness,  and  gratefully  press  on 
with  smiles  shining  above  the  tears  which  memory  brings, 
unto  more  and  more  perfect  service.  You  ask  me  to 
bear  patiently  with  your  failings.  Do  you  think  I  fancy 
myself  in  no  need  of  your  patience  and  forgiveness  ? 
Good-by,  dearest, 

Your  MATSON. 

Throughout  the  years  of  the  Brookline  ministry  there 
was  a  growing  excitement  upon  great  national  ques- 
tions. The  Anti-slavery  agitation  increased  rapidly,  and 
there  were  many,  who,  anticipating  a  desperate  strug- 
gle, yet  hoped  it  might  be  averted  through  the  wisdom 
of  conservative  leaders,  while  themselves  in  sympathy 
with  the  progressive  element.  It  was  characteristic  of 
Mr.  Meier-Smith  to  move  slowly  toward  a  new  posi- 
tion. The  next  letters  show  this  cautious  treading; 
but,  three  years  later,  he  was  prepared  to  be  among 
the  first  and  the  firmest  in  a  steady  march  toward  the 
high  stand  on  the  great  moral  questions  involved, 


BROOKLINE  DAYS.  69 

which  was  reached  by  a  large  proportion  of  Chris- 
tian men  of  the  North  before  the  commencement  of 
the  Civil  War. 

To  his  Father. 

BROOKLINE,  April,  1852. 

.  .  .  Last  evening  Mr.  E.  D was  at  Mr.  T 's, 

and  we  had  a  regular  tilt  upon  the  "  higher  law  "  ques- 
tion. I  believe  his  principles  are  sound  in  the  abstract, 
and  that  he  would  act  righteously  in  a  real  case,  but  his 
conclusions  logical  seem  to  me  to  be  ^logical  from  his 
strong  attachment  to  the  Webster-Whig  school.  Mr. 

T 's  views  were  developed  too,  and  I  find  he  is  no 

more  an  Abolitionist  than  I  am,  holding  almost  the 
identical  position  I  do,  with  the  exception  that  he  votes 
the  Free  Soil  ticket  certainly,  while,  just  at  present, 
I  feel  inclined  to  vote  for  Mr.  Webster.  It  was  the 
briskest  fight  I've  had  for  three  years! 

To  his  Parents. 

BROOKLINE,  June,  1852. 

.  .  .  The  first  subject  of  conversation  here  has  been 
as  everywhere  else  the  nominations  at  Baltimore.  Mr. 
Webster  seems  to  have  been  entirely  distanced.  As  a 
matter  of  national  vanity  I  had  some  desire  for  his  nom- 
ination and  election,  but  it  is  doubtless  best  that  he  is 
so  thoroughly  rejected.  Magnificent  as  are  his  mental 
powers,  his  principles  are  so  defective  that  he  ought 
never  to  be  President ;  and  if  ever  a  man  righteously 
deserved  defeat  for  truckling  to  Southern  principles  as 
to  slavery,  with  New  England  blood  coursing  through 
his  veins,  and  New  England's  stern  lessons  of  justice 
ringing  in  his  ears,  he  has  deserved  it.  The  grand  po- 
litical game  started  about  three  years  ago  —  of  which 


70  BROOKLINE   DAYS. 

the  Fugitive  Slave  Law  and  the  other  Compromise 
Measures,  and  the  many  speeches  and  sermons  in  favor 
thereof,  and  the  wolf-cry  of  "  danger  to  the  Union,"  "  no 
higher  law,"  etc.,  were  parts  —  has  been  a  deep  game  and 
a  desperate  one,  but  the  chief  players  have  all  burned 
their  own  fingers.  It  is  righteous  retribution.  What 
is  in  the  future  we  know  not,  but  if  such  events  will 
produce  more  manliness  in  our  statesmen,  they  will  do 
good.  And  if,  as  I  trust,  the  agitation  of  the  last  two 
years  will  only  swell  the  grand  shout  in  favor  of  Free- 
dom and  Free-soil  and  Anti-slavery  to  the  detriment 
of  the  leading  parties,  I  shall  think  that  our  prayers  are 
beginning  to  be  answered  on  behalf  of  our  country,  in 
earnest.  I  am  not  an  Abolitionist  in  the  ordinary  use 
of  the  word,  but  I  am  every  day  growing  stronger  in  my 
Anti-slavery  sentiment,  and  this  not  merely  as  disapprov- 
ing of  slavery  as  I  disapprove  of  Hindooism,  but  in  the 
conviction  of  the  increasingly  pressing  duty  of  Christian 
men  to  begin  to  act,  and  give  no  countenance  to  the 
system,  nor  be  longer  wheedled  into  a  dead  conservatism 
by  unprincipled  politicians  and  worse  stock-jobbers ! 

Allusion  has  been  made  to  the  pleasant  ministerial 
associations  of  this  period  of  Mr.  Meier-Smith's  life. 
He  was  one  of  a  select  number  who  organized  the  Win- 
throp  Club,  vigorous  yet  in  the  maturity  of  more  than 
thirty  years  of  life.  Now  and  then  during  the  many 
years  that  have  passed  since  he  met  with  his  brethren, 
messages  of  fraternal  friendship  and  good  cheer  have 
gone  from  his  pen  in  answer  to  invitations  to  their 
meetings.  No  clerical  social  gatherings  were  ever  more 
prized  and  enjoyed  by  him.  From  the  Rev.  Dr.  Dexter, 
of  Boston,  editor  of  the  "  Congregationalist,"  who  was 
at  that  time  pastor  of  the  Pine-Street  Church,  Boston, 


BROOKLINE  DAYS.  71 

a  letter  was  received  after  Dr.  Meier-Smith's  death,  giv- 
ing the  impression  he  made  upon  his  associates  during 
those  years :  — 

BOSTON,  April  8,  1887. 

.  .  .  The  sad  news  of  your  dear  husband's  death  was  a 
great  shock  to  me,  as  I  had  hardly  thought  of  him  as  growing 
old.  Indeed,  he  struck  me  as  being  perennially  young.  I 
can  remember  exactly  how  he  looked  when  I  knew  him  so 
pleasantly  and  well,  and  how  like  a  sunbeam  he  went  every- 
where. I  find  it  very  difficult  to  realize  that  he  is  withdrawn 
from  all  the  service  of  earth,  and  that  we  shall  see  his  face 
no  more. 

It  cannot  but  please  you  to  know  that  at  the  meeting  of 
the  Winthrop  Club  on  Monday  last,  he  was  the  subject  of 
affectionate  remembrance,  and  such  passages  from  the  early 
records  as  recalled  him  were  read  by  the  Secretary. 

I  can  assure  you  that  there  was  not  one  drop  of  bitterness 
generated  by  his  changing  his  position  from  our  denomina- 
tion ;  his  own  genial  and  charitable  soul  gave  all  too  good  a 
guarantee  of  his  sincerity  and  of  his  catholicity  for  that.  .  .  . 
His  bright  face  is  distinctly  before  me  as  I  write,  with  that 
rich  and  genial  smile,  just  ready  to  break  forth  into  some 
glad  or  merry  word,  making  his  presence  always  cheering  and 
delightful. 

From  the  Eev.  Dr.  Furber,  of  Newton  Centre,  Mas- 
sachusetts, one  of  the  first  members  of  the  Winthrop 
Club  and  the  present  Secretary :  — 

November  2,  1887. 

.  .  .  Mention  was  made  in  our  Club  of  the  death  of  your 
dear  husband,  our  very  highly  esteemed  former  associate.  It 
is  nearly  thirty  years  since  I  saw  him,  but  I  remember  him 
with  the  greatest  distinctness.  I  exchanged  with  him  five 
times.  He  told  me  that  once  while  preaching  in  my  pulpit, 
it  suddenly  occurred  to  him  that  he  had  preached  that  very 
sermon  to  my  people  before ;  "  but,"  said  he,  "  I  determined 


72  BROOKLINE  DAYS. 

to  brass  it  out  and  make  the  best  of  it,"  which  he  wisely  did, 
and  probably  no  one  in  the  house  thought  the  sermon  an  old 
one.  In  proposing  an  exchange  to  ine  he  said,  "  Please  bring 
plain  spoken  sermons,  for  we  have  some  religious  interest." 
I  remember  once  hearing  him  preach  in  his  own  church.  In 
the  pulpit  he  was  stately  and  dignified.  In  social  intercourse, 
though  he  was  never  undignified,  he  was  genial,  sympathetic, 
and  vivacious,  and  his  conversation  was  enlivened  with 
pleasantry.  One  of  his  brethren  came  to  him  on  Saturday 
morning  in  distress  for  an  exchange.  Your  husband  could 
not  accommodate  him.  "What  am  I  going  to  do?"  said 

Mr. .     "Go  home  and  write  a  sermon,"  was  the  answer ; 

"  that 's  what  I  'm  trying  to  do ! " 

These  reminiscences  of  early  friends  illustrate  a  side 
of  his  personality  which  was  as  marked  thirty  years 
later,  as  in  the  days  of  his  youth.  In  this  aspect  he 
never  grew  old. 

Beginning  with  the  year  1854,  some  of  the  shadows 
which  he  had  predicted  as  likely  to  fall  over  his  smooth 
pathway  began  to  be  discerned. 

First  among  them  was  the  loss  of  two  faithful  men, 
John  Dane  and  Nathaniel  Dana.  Harvard  Church  and 
its  pastor  were  rich  in  the  possession  of  such  office- 
bearers. Mr.  Dane  died  in  the  prime  of  life,  in  July, 
1854,  after  a  very  short  illness.  Mr.  Dana,  venerable 
in  years,  slowly  passed  to  his  rest,  in  January,  1856. 
Both  of  these  men  were  such  as  a  pastor  may  lean 
upon  in  confidence.  A  warm  love  was  mutually  felt, 
and  each  in  his  way  was  a  valued  counsellor.  Mr. 
Dane's  bright  and  sunny  nature  was  much  like  his 
young  pastor's,  and  they  were  always  in  sympathy. 
He  was  an  untiring  friend  and  helper,  and  one  with 
whom  Mr.  Meier-Smith  could  freely  unbend.  He  was 
a  faithful,  loving  Christian,  and  his  death  was  a  loss 


BROOKLINE  DAYS.  73 

never  made  up  to  the  church  or  its  pastor.  Mr.  Dana's 
lovely  piety  and  large  Christian  experience  were  an 
example  and  stimulus  to  the  clergyman  whom  he  took 
to  his  heart  in  his  youth  and  inexperience,  and  who 
mourned  for  him  with  almost  a  filial  affection.  These 
losses  were  also  felt  by  him  as  withdrawing  strong  in- 
fluences for  the  spiritual  prosperity  of  his  congregation. 


vn. 

BROOKLINE  DAYS. 
1855-1859. 

LIKE  golden  threads  running  through  all  the  web 
of  Mr.  Meier-Smith's  early  ministry,  and  here 
and  there  shining  out  as  light  fell  upon  them,  were 
the  influences  which  were  leading  him  to  a  stronger 
churchly  position.  The  position  of  children  in  the 
Church,  as  indicated  in  the  usages  growing  more  and 
more  prevalent  in  New  England,  was  a  perplexity  to 
him.  Infant  baptism  appeared  to  have  become  only 
a  pleasant  custom,  justified  by  use  but  not  otherwise 
to  be  strongly  maintained. 

The  Eucharist  was  regarded  only  as  a  Memorial 
Feast.  Not  such  was  his  view  of  the  sacraments,  or 
of  the  place  of  the  children  in  the  Kingdom.  Old  Con- 
gregational standards  he  found  taking  ground  with 
Presbyterian  formulas,  but  modern  practice  and  in- 
struction were  widely  different.  Investigating  the 
subject  of  what  the  fathers  of  the  New  England 
churches  called  "Infant  Church  Membership,"  he  had 
a  discussion  of  some  length  in  the  Boston  "  Congrega- 
tionalist,"  with  its  editor,  at  the  close  of  which  it  was 
courteously  admitted  that  he  had  the  weight  of  testi- 
mony on  his  side  of  the  argument.  He  ended  the  dis- 
cussion by  the  following  inferences :  — 


BROOKLINE  DAYS.  75 

"  1.  That  baptized  children  of  believing  parents  are 
members  of  the  Church,  unequivocally.  They  stand  as 
young  trees  in  the  orchard,  rather  than  as  young  trees 
in  the  nursery,  which  are  hereafter  to  be  transplanted. 
There  is  no  more  indefiuiteness  in  this  statement  than 
in  the  statement  that  a  minor  or  infant  in  law  is  a 
citizen.  The  fact  of  being  under  age  does  not  render 
the  term  improper.  The  law  of  one  State  says,  '  Every 
free  white  able-bodied  citizen  who  has  attained  the 
age  of  eighteen  years  is  liable  to  military  duty.'  Yet 
these  infant  citizens  cannot  vote,  and  in  some  cases 
cannot  hold  property.  Is  it  then  absurd  to  speak  of 
infant  citizenship  in  Christ's  kingdom  ? 

"2.  Infant  members  are  entitled  to  such  privileges 
and  subject  to  such  responsibilities  as  their  capacities 
will  admit,  and  these  only.  Those  six  months  old  have 
fewer  than  those  sixteen  years  old.  They  are  not  en- 
titled, for  example,  to  the  Lord's  Supper,  until  they 
can  discern  the  Lord's  body  and  will  come  forward  with 
right  hearts.  On  the  other  hand  their  position  creates 
an  obligation  to  receive  the  Lord's  Supper  with  right 
hearts,  as  soon  as  they  are  old  enough  and  wise  enough 
to  discern  the  Lord's  body. 

"  3.  This  doctrine  does  not  conflict  with  the  right 
of  a  church  to  prescribe  its  own  terms  of  communion 
and  fellowship  for  infant  members  who  seek  for  privi- 
leges, and  it  may  require  profession  of  faith. 

"This  profession  is  not  'joining  the  Church,'  but 
simply  a  profession.  They  were  joined  to  the  Church, 
according  to  this  theory,  in  infancy." 

It  will  of  course  be  understood  that  these  conclusions 
express  the  shape  the  subject  took  in  his  own  mind 
in  that  forming  period,  and  do  not,  except  as  they  fore- 
shadow them,  present  the  full  views  of  his  maturity. 


76  BROOKLINE  DAYS. 

As  a  source  of  disquietude  there  appeared  a  weak- 
ness of  throat  and  voice  which  at  times  threatened 
entire  disability.  The  east  winds  of  the  winters  and 
springs  were  always  severe,  and  a  harassing  cough  be- 
came chronic  during  the  cold  weather. 

He  was  compelled  to  take  several  short  rests  and 
to  keep  under  constant  local  treatment  for  his  throat. 
On  one  occasion,  while  preaching  an  especially  solemn 
sermon  to  a  crowded  congregation  at  a  union  service, 
while  in  the  midst  of  an  earnest  appeal,  his  voice  grew 
thinner  and  weaker  until  it  was  almost  a  whisper. 
The  audience  grew  proportionally  still,  watching  the 
speaker  with  strained  attention.  He  did  not  stop  to 
explain,  and  closed  his  sermon  with  a  benediction,  pro- 
nounced in  a  whisper,  which  deeply  moved  his  hearers 
with  the  fear  that  the  faithful  servant  might  be  deliv- 
ering his  last  message.  It  was  some  time  before  he 
spoke  aloud  again. 

This  throat  weakness  improved  during  the  next  year, 
and  he  regained  and  held  for  many  years  nearly  his 
former  strength  and  ease  in  speaking.  In  1856,  and 
in  the  following  year,  financial  disasters  spread  over  the 
country  to  such  an  extent  that  a  general  gloom  pre- 
vailed. Among  his  own  people  there  were  some  who 
suffered  greatly.  This  was  followed  by  a  remarkable 
season  of  religious  reviving,  or  awakening  as  he  called 
it,  giving  the  old  name  he  preferred  to  revival. 

Such  serious  interests  now  engrossed  the  attention 
of  thoughtful  Christians,  that  his  preaching  changed  in 
a  marked  degree.  He  felt  that  the  times  called  the 
"  watchmen  on  the  walls  "  to  exhort  the  people  to  deep 
self-communing  and  repentance. 

He  endeavored  to  arouse  his  own  flock  and  to  enlist 
their  interest  in  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  as  he  saw  it 


BROOKLINE   DAYS.  77 

manifested  in  the  communities  about  him.  He  carried 
many  of  his  people  with  him,  but  some  of  his  most 
respected  friends,  upon  whom  he  relied  for  sympathy 
and  support,  differed  from  him,  and  freely  criticised  the 
"  advanced  "  views  and  methods,  as  they  regarded  them, 
of  their  pastor.  This  wounded  him,  and  an  entering 
wedge  of  separation  appeared.  Among  his  advisers  at 
this  time  was  his  friend  the  Eev.  Dr.  Kirk.  He  was  in 
full  sympathy  with  the  spirit  which  stirred  the  soul  of 
his  "  dear  son  in  the  Gospel,"  and  that  his  course  won 
Dr.  Kirk's  approval  was  the  compensation  for  some 
heart-aches. 

While  the  unusual  services  of  this  time  of  religious 
interest  were  in  progress,  Dr.  Kirk  sent  an  invitation 
to  him,  inspired  by  tender  thoughtfulness.  Being  uni- 
versally revered  and  beloved  he  knew  that  such  an 
open  indorsement  would  strengthen  his  young  brother's 
hands,  and  wrote  to  him  in  these  words  :  — 

MY  DEAR  SON  IN  THE  GOSPEL,  —  Will  you  stand  by  your 
father  in  his  advancing  age  1  I  have  to  preach  on  Tuesday 
morning  and  evening,  on  Wednesday  morning,  and  Thursday 
morning  and  evening.  My  nervous  energy  is  almost  ex- 
hausted, but  God  can  supply  my  wants  and  he  may  employ 
you  in  doing  it,  —  a  service  from  which  I  know  you  will  not 
shrink.  Can  you  be  with  me  to  pray  for  the  people  on  Tues- 
day morning,  and  to  preach  on  Tuesday  evening  1  Come  and 
stay  with  me. 

Mr.  Meier-Smith's  preaching  at  this  time  was  more 
doctrinal  in  subject  and  more  personal  in  style  than 
hitherto.  Upon  certain  subjects  he  had  not  felt  con- 
strained to  preach  before.  Death,  judgment,  retribu- 
tion, sin,  conscience,  and  responsibility  for  great  moral 
decisions  are  among  the  topics  of  sermons  written  at 


78  BROOKLINE  DAYS. 

this  period.  In  his  review  of  this  time,  some  years 
afterward,  he  believed  that  some  who  stood  aloof  were 
conscientious  in  differing  with  him,  and  he  recognized 
also  that  this  was  a  time  of  expansion  in  his  own  reli- 
gious life,  and  of  a  more  entire  consecration  to  Christ, 
resulting  from  the  discovery  that  he  must  not  rely  too 
much  on  the  most  trusted  human  help  and  sympathy. 

In  January,  1857,  the  death  of  Mrs.  Meier-Smith's 
mother  brought  great  sorrow  into  Harvard  parsonage. 

From  his  early  boyhood  the  loveliness  of  Mrs.  White's 
person  and  character  had  inspired  an  admiration  in  her 
future  son-in-law,  which  grew  into  filial  love  when  he 
came  into  close  relationship  with  her.  Years  of  great 
suffering  preceded  her  release,  and  throughout  them 
her  beautiful  character  ripened  until  in  the  eyes  of  her 
family  she  seemed  a  saint.  "  I  love  her  scarcely  less 
than  my  own  mother,"  Mr.  Meier-Smith  often  said,  and 
when  she  was  removed  from  the  husband  and  children 
whose  lives  she  had  blessed  so  richly,  he  who  had  been 
adopted  into  their  circle  was  one  of  the  most  sincere 
mourners. 

In  the  year  1857,  he  received  an  honorary  degree  of 
Master  of  Arts  from  Williams  College,  Massachusetts. 
Within  two  years  he  declined  overtures  from  several 
churches,  among  them  one  hi  the  city  of  New  York.  It 
was  not  until  he  felt  that  a  change  was  imperative  from 
a  sense  of  overwork,  that  he  consented  to  consider  a 
call  elsewhere.  The  disturbed  feeling  of  which  we 
have  spoken  had  then  disappeared  completely,  and 
entire  harmony  prevailed.  The  church  had  doubled  in 
size  and  strength  during  his  pastorate,  and  the  outlook 
was  promising;  but  the  intellectual  strain  had  been 
steady,  and  he  desired  an  opportunity  to  reach  other 
classes  of  people  for  the  sake  of  development  in  certain 


BROOKLINE  DAYS.  79 

lines  of  work.     A  change  of  climate,  also,  was  advised 
for  the  tendency  to  throat  trouble. 

In  the  autumn  of  1858,  he  received,  simultaneously, 
calls  to  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  Bloomfield,  New 
Jersey,  and  the  First  Congregational  Church  of  Bridge- 
port, Connecticut.  While  absent  from  home,  visiting 
these  parishes,  and  while  yet  undecided  in  regard  to 
leaving  Brookline,  he  wrote  to  his  wife :  — 

I  am  on  my  way  to  Bloomfield,  of  which  I  cannot 
say  more  than  that  I  am  entirely  ready  to  go  thither, 
unless  I  can  be  more  useful  in  either  of  the  other  Bees  ! 
The  Bridgeport  people  are  very  pressing.  Is  this  of 
the  Lord  or  no  ?  I  am  only  solicitous  to  be  directed 
by  the  great  Head  of  the  Church.  .  .  . 

What  is  the  Lord  ordering  for  us  ?  I  do  not  see  a 
boat's  length  ahead.  The  Great  Pilot  does  see  however ' 
He  ruleth '  Be  of  good  courage,  my  love.  Whether 
there  lies  before  us  an  ample  and  congenial  work,  or  a 
faith-trying  disappointment,  we  shall  find  out.  If  I 
know  my  own  heart  I  only  want  to  be  guided  by  His 
Will.  .  .  .  Their  father's  warmest  love  to  his  boy  and 
girl.  Ever,  dearest,  your 

MATSON. 

The  call  to  Bridgeport  was  accepted,  several  reasons 
contributing  to  the  decision.  Probably  stronger  than 
Mr.  Meier-Smith  knew  at  the  time,  was  the  drift  of  his 
thought  in  certain  directions,  which  made  him  doubtful 
of  returning  to  the  Presbyterian  Church,  lest  he  should 
feel  himself  more  trammelled  in  following  out  his  incli- 
nations than  he  would  be  under  the  independent  system 
of  Congregationalism.  He  was  being  led  by  a  way 
which  he  knew  not.  Had  he  returned  to  the  Pres- 
byterian Communion,  he  might  have  remained  there, 


80  BROOKLINE  DAYS. 

for  he  would  have  missed  an  experience  which  had  its 
influence  in  strengthening  latent  convictions  as  yet  not 
fully  recognized  by  himself. 

On  Sunday,  Nov.  14,  1858,  Mr.  Meier-Smith  read  his 
resignation  to  his  people,  from  which  this  extract  is 
made:  "My  decision  has  not  been  reached  without 
prayerful  deliberation,  and  unfeigned  sorrow  at  the 
thought  of  parting  with  those  whom  I  greatly  love, 
with  this  church  to  which  I  came  in  its  feeble  youth 
and  in  mine,  and  which  under  divine  favor  has  at- 
tained maturity  and  masculine  vigor.  I  am  under  the 
painful  necessity,  in  order  to  enter  upon  the  field  which 
opens  before  me,  of  tendering  the  resignation  of  my 
office  as  pastor  and  teacher,  and  I  ask  you  to  unite 
with  me  in  calling  a  Council  to  dissolve  the  relation- 
ship existing  between  us." 

The  resolutions  passed  by  the  church  in  reply  were 
as  follows :  — 

"Resolved,  That  this  church  views  with  profound  sorrow 
and  regret  the  event  which  has  thus  in  divine  Providence 
been  brought  upon  them.  That,  understanding  that  it  will 
be  acceptable  to  our  pastor  as  a  proof  of  our  confidence  in 
him  and  our  love  for  him,  and  that  it  will  be  received,  not 
as  evidence  of  our  willingness  to  part  with  him,  but  of  our 
readiness  in  a  spirit  of  self-sacrifice  to  defer  to  his  desires, 
it  is  therefore  — 

"Resolved,  That  this  church  accepts  the  resignation  as 
tendered  by  their  pastor. 

"Resolved,  That  in  accepting  the  request  of  their  beloved 
pastor  this  church  desires  to  present  to  him  their  Christian 
love,  their  warmest  thanks  in  remembrance  of  his  past  faith- 
ful labors,  and  their  prayers  to  our  common  Lord  and  Master 
for  his  future  happiness  and  usefulness." 


BROOKLINE  DAYS.  81 

From  the  Minutes  of  the  Council  called  to  sever  the 
relation :  — 

"  The  Council  cannot  part  with  one  whom  they  have  known 
so  long  and  well,  and  in  whose  pleasant  and  fraternal  fellow- 
ship, and  hearty  co-operation  in  all  departments  of  Christian 
and  ministerial  activity,  they  have  had  so  much  comfort  and 
strengthening,  without  bearing  witness  to  the  tenderness  of 
the  relationship  that  has  existed  between  them,  and  their 
deep  regret  that  this  beloved  brother  is  to  be  removed  from 
their  immediate  neighborhood. 

"  Their  prayers  and  their  sincerest  wishes  for  his  prosperity 
and  success  in  his  work  will  follow  him  hence  to  the  new  field 
of  labor  understood  to  lie  before  him.  And  to  those  with 
whom  he  may  hereafter  be  associated  in  any  function  of  his 
calling,  we  heartily  commend  him  as  a  faithful,  earnest,  and 
wise  minister  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 

With  universal  expressions  of  sorrow  at  the  parting, 
and  very  many  substantial  tokens  of  love  and  appre- 
ciation, the  farewells  were  said,  and  the  Brookline  life 
ended  with  the  closing  year. 

A  letter  from  Mrs.  Edward  A.  Strong,  of  Boston, 
finds  an  appropriate  place  here,  bearing  its  loving  trib- 
ute to  this  early  ministry.  The  writer  and  her  husband 
having  been  for  more  than  thirty  years  among  the  dear- 
est friends  of  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Meier-Smith,  there  was  ample 
opportunity  in  this  long  and  close  intimacy  to  verify  the 
impressions  formed  in  Brookline,  of  the  character  and 
influence  of  her  young  pastor. 

"...  Ever  since  you  wrote  to  me,  asking  that  I  would 
try  to  recall  some  of  my  impressions  of  your  dear  husband's 
life  and  pastorate  in  Brookline,  I  have  been  searching  the 
depths  of  my  memory  to  find  something  which  might  aid 
you  in  your  labor  of  love.  But  you  will  realize  that  thirty 
6 


82  BROOKLINE  DAYS. 

years  ago  is  a  long  way  back,  and  in  this  lapse  of  time  many 
things  which  might  throw  a  valuable  light  on  the  story  of 
those  days  have  quite  dropped  out  of  memory's  grasp. 

"  I  have  always  felt  that  my  long  and  close  friendship  for 
Matson  was  colored  by  the  peculiar  circumstances  of  its  be- 
ginning. It  was  under  the  very  shadow  of  death  that  I  first 
knew  and  loved  him. 

"  He  came  to  Brookline,  as  pastor  of  the  Harvard  Church, 
when  I,  a  girl  of  seventeen,  lay  low  with  typhoid  fever  in  the 
very  next  house  to  the  parsonage. 

"My  first  impression  of  him  is  dim  and  shadowy.  I  knew 
that  he  came  daily  and  sat  by  my  bed,  speaking  words  of 
sympathy  and  comfort  to  my  mother,  repeating  Scripture 
promises  to  me,  and  praying  for  me,  until  soon  there  came 
a  night  when  he  bade  me  good-by,  as  he  thought,  forever, 
never  thinking  to  see  me  in  life  again. 

"  How  often  in  after  years  he  spoke  of  that  solemn  fare- 
well !  But,  when  I  was  raised  up  to  life  again,  all  through 
my  convalescence,  how  faithful  and  tender  he  was  to  me. 
How  gently  he  encouraged  my  feeble  faith,  and  strength- 
ened my  new  resolve  to  come  out  on  the  Lord's  side  and 
join  myself  to  his  people. 

"When  the  time  came  for  me  to  meet  the  examining 
committee  of  the  church,  and  I  naturally  shrank  from  the 
ordeal  of  their  questions,  I  remember  how  his  wise  and 
kindly  words  gave  me  courage. 

"  I  wonder  if  you  have  any  remembrance  of  that  Novem- 
ber Sunday  of  dreary  storm,  when  I,  the  only  one  to  'join 
the  church,'  sat  by  your  side  in  the  front  pew  of  Harvard 
Church  and  took  the  solemn  vows  upon  me.  You,  as  the 
pastor's  wife,  young  as  you  were  then,  were  never  behind  him 
in  your  sweet  helpful  devotion  to  his  sacred  work.  You  held 
up  his  hands  and  encouraged  his  heart.  You  lightened  not 
only  his  burdens  but  those  of  his  people,  by  your  cordial 
tact  and  always  ready  sympathy.  What  Matson  was  to  me 
as  pastor,  I  know  he  must  have  been  to  others.  His  whole 


BROOKLINE  DAYS.  83 

heart  was  in  his  chosen  work  of  preaching  faithfully  the  gos- 
pel, and  ministering  in  all  ways  to  his  people,  and  I  know 
they  dearly  loved  him. 

"  His  sermons  seem  to  me  to  have  been  strong,  sound,  and 
fearless.  I  wish  my  memory  would  serve  me  to  recall  any  of 
them  in  subject  or  treatment ;  these  have  vanished,  and  only 
the  impression  remains  of  the  influence  they  had  upon  me 
and  on  others.  I  recollect  how  earnestly,  at  one  time,  he 
persisted,  even  at  the  risk  of  unpopularity,  in  preaching  some 
truths  which  he  felt  sure  that  this  particular  flock  needed  to 
hear.  But  I  believe  he  always  spoke  the  truth  in  love,  —  who 
that  ever  knew  him  could  doubt  it?  Who  can  ever  forget  the 
warmth  of  the  cordial  greeting  he  always  gave  one,  the  hearty 
grasp  of  his  hand,  the  welcome  in  his  eye1?  'Great-heart' 
indeed  he  was.  You  could  never  do  him  a  greater  favor  than 
to  allow  him  to  do  one  for  you.  One  rested  on  his  absolutely 
true,  strong  friendship  as  on  a  rock,  and  knew  it  would  never 
fail  one. 

"  How  vividly  comes  back  to  me  your  life  in  that  Brook- 
line  parsonage,  dear  home  that  it  was  for  you  both,  in  spite 
of  its  deficiencies.  But  how  cheerily  you  and  your  husband 
made  light  of  them  all !  My  mother  was  never  tired  of  prais- 
ing you  for  the  patience  and  cheerfulness  with  which  you 
bore  the  discomforts  of  small  and  few  rooms,  poor  servants, 
and  a  hundred  petty  inconveniences. 

"  I  recall  so  many  pleasant  things  about  that  early  Brook- 
line  life,  and  my  associations  with  you  and  Matson.  They 
have  been  for  all  these  thirty  years  bright  pictures  hung  up 
on  memory's  walls. 

"I  love  to  think  that  he  was  with  me  in  two  of  the  su- 
preme moments  of  my  life.  One  I  have  already  spoken  of, 
where  I  seemed  to  be  just  stepping  out  of  life  into  eternity ; 
the  other,  seven  years  later,  when  he  performed  my  marriage 
service. 

"As  fully  and  heartily  as  he  had  always  given  me  his 
friendship,  so  now  he  gave  it  to  my  husband,  taking  him 


84  BROOKLINE  DAYS. 

into  his  heart  once  for  all ;  and  to  us  both  this  world  will 
always  seem  a  sadder  and  a  lonelier  place,  now  that  this  noble 
soul  has  gone  out  of  it.  Such  unselfish,  great-hearted  ones 
are  rare,  and  when  our  Father  calls  them  upward,  we  who 
remain  behind  must  forever  mourn  over  their  unfilled  places. 
"  I  know  that  Matson  was  greatly  valued  and  beloved  by 
the  circle  of  clergymen  in  and  around  Boston,  with  whom  he 
came  much  in  contact  during  his  life  in  Brookline.  After  all 
these  years,  one  of  them,  with  whom  he  must  have  differed 
widely  in  theological  views,  remembered  him  so  tenderly  as 
to  write  for  the  Boston  « Congregationalist,'  at  the  time  of  his 
death,  an  appreciative  and  affectionate  tribute.  Many  of  that 
circle  have  passed  on  before  him,  some  are  in  distant  parishes, 
others  linger  on  in  the  old  places,  but  are  weakened  by  dis- 
ease and  burdened  with  infirmities;  but  I  am  sure  that  all 
would  bear  glad  testimony  to  the  nobility  and  sweetness  of 
nature,  and  the  manly  sincerity  and  courage  of  this  dear 
friend." 


VIII. 

LIFE  IN  BKIDGEPOKT. 
1859-1863. 

IN  the  first  week  of  January,  1859,  Mr.  Meier-Smith 
was  installed  pastor  of  the  First  Congregational 
Church  in  Bridgeport,  Connecticut.  A  very  heavy 
snow-storm  was  in  progress,  and  many  who  were  in- 
vited as  members  of  the  Council  for  installation  were 
prevented  thereby  from  attending.  The  sermon  was 
preached  by  his  friend  the  late  Rev.  Dr.  Roswell  D. 
Hitchcock,  of  New  York. 

The  new  home  and  work  contrasted  strongly  with 
the  life  in  Brookline.  Bridgeport  was  a  busy  and  thriv- 
ing city,  its  population  largely  engaged  in  manufactures, 
and  it  presented  elements  of  variety  in  social  and  reli- 
gious aspects,  as  heterogeneous  as  those  of  Brookline 
were  homogeneous. 

An  extract  from  a  letter  written  by  the  pastor's  wife, 
after  the  first  Sunday,  gives  the  early  impressions : 
"  Matson  had  crowded  houses  on  Sunday,  and  in  the 
evening  the  Sunday-school  concert  met  in  the  church. 
The  school  seemed  large  and  animated.  We  feel  that 
we  have  indeed  commenced  a  new  life.  Such  engross- 
ing labor  as  Matson  sees  before  him  is  just  what  he  has 
longed  and  prayed  for,  and  I  shall  try  not  to  give  a  sigh 
now  and  then  to  the  life  which  lies  behind  us,  and  with 
it  a  great  deal  of  our  domestic  quiet  and  home  enjoy- 


86  LIFE  IN  BRIDGEPORT. 

ment.  But  if  my  dear  husband  can  only  have  strength 
of  body  and  mind,  and  warmth  of  soul,  for  all  his 
labors,  we  shall  both  rejoice  that  he  has  been  counted 
worthy  of  a  more  arduous  and  extensive  field." 

Mr.  Meier-Smith  was  at  this  time  three  and  thirty 
years  of  age,  youthful  and  vigorous  in  appearance,  and 
full  of  ardor  at  the  prospect  of  work  which  would  call 
out  all  his  energies.  He  was  gifted  with  a  charm  of 
manner  which  few  could  resist,  and  his  frank  greetings 
naturally  met  a  cordial  response.  It  was  often  said  of 
him  that  he  went  a  great  deal  more  than  half  way  to 
meet  every  one.  The  geniality  which  made  him  so  ap- 
proachable was  perhaps  the  more  felt  in  his  pastoral 
work,  as  in  his  public  ministrations  he  was  unusually 
dignified,  never,  even  under  the  excitement  of  a  popular 
address,  forgetting  for  a  moment  the  sacredness  of  his 
high  office.  All  who  recall  him  as  friend  and  pastor 
will  appreciate  what  has  been  said.  But  only  those 
who  were  admitted  into  the  nearest  circle  of  friendship, 
or  the  intimacy  of  his  home,  can  understand  the  place 
he  held  there.  He  was  a  born  care-taker,  —  a  burden - 
bearer  by  nature  as  well  as  from  a  sense  of  duty.  The 
little  thoughtful  attentions,  the  patient  fulfilment  of 
small  domestic  duties,  so  irksome  to  many  men,  and 
so  impossible  to  some  from  their  temperament  or  edu- 
cation, seemed  entirely  natural  to  him.  He  was  sin- 
gularly frank  and  open  with  those  whom  he  loved  and 
trusted,  and  there  were  no  secrets  at  his  own  fireside. 
He  talked  freely  of  his  cares  and  responsibilities  to  his 
wife,  and  to  his  children  as  they  matured,  and  recognized 
their  right  to  share  his  burdens,  while  he  entered  with 
readiest  sympathy  into  theirs,  no  matter  how  trivial. 
Prompt  response  to  any  appeal  for  his  sympathy  or  help 
was  a  marked  characteristic.  He  never  had  to  apolo- 


LIFE  IN  BRIDGEPORT.  87 

gize  for  forgetfulness  when  his  help  was  sought,  for  he 
allowed  no  time  to  pass  before  giving  the  request  his 
attention.  If  assistance  could  be  given,  it  was  always 
in  a  manner  that  seemed  to  lessen  the  obligation  ;  if  it 
must  be  refused,  it  was  shown  that  it  was  real  pain  to 
him  so  to  answer. 

The  attempt  has  been  made  to  give  such  an  impres- 
sion of  him  as  his  new  parishioners  must  have  received, 
but  the  sketch  is  very  imperfect. 

In  contrast  to  Brookline,  Bridgeport  offered  a  more 
hopeful  field  to  the  pastor  who  desired  to  be  the  in- 
timate friend  and  guide  of  all  his  people.  In  this 
busy  working  community,  living  in  comfort  but  without 
pretension,  the  good  New  England  traditions  of  social 
equality  were  generally  observed. 

The  congregations  were  usually  large.  In  addition 
to  the  regular  people  of  his  charge,  a  fair  share  of  the 
floating  population  were  drawn  by  the  attractive  church, 
the  excellent  music,  and  the  style  and  manner  of  the 
new  pastor.  All  this  was  very  stimulating  to  one  who 
could  say,  as  he  so  often  said,  "  I  do  love  to  preach." 

After  his  removal  to  Bridgeport,  Mr.  Meier-Smith 
cultivated  more  freedom  as  a  speaker,  being  resolved  to 
gain  in  force  and  animation  at  the  risk  of  loss  in  rhetori- 
cal finish.  He  was  more  distinctively  a  popular  preacher 
during  his  Bridgeport  pastorate  than  in  any  other  period 
of  his  ministry,  for  his  sympathetic  temperament  re- 
sponded to  the  stirring  events  which  marked  these 
years.  Although  he  never  became  a  careless  or  slovenly 
writer,  he  now  wrote  currente  calamo,  and  usually  fin- 
ished a  sermon  in  two  sittings.  But  his  preparation  was 
thorough,  his  notes  very  full,  and  the  language  more  or 
less  chosen  before  he  put  pen  to  paper.  His  manuscripts 
are  found  almost  without  correction. 


88  LIFE  IN  BRIDGEPORT. 

During  the  first  two  years,  parochial  work  occupied 
much  of  his  time,  as  the  parish  limits  extended  over  all 
parts  of  the  city  and  its  suburbs.  He  spent  less  time 
in  his  study,  and  was  much  among  his  people,  learning 
their  needs,  and  how  to  adapt  his  sermons  to  them. 

Among  points  which  first  interested  him  as  he  sur- 
veyed his  new  field,  was  the  aspect  of  matters  ecclesias- 
tical. Connecticut  Congregationalism  was  not  altogether 
unlike  Presbyterianism,  a  centralization  being  obtained 
by  a  standing  council  known  as  Consociation.  Perhaps 
this  feature  gave  to  the  officers  of  the  Church,  —  the 
deacons,  —  some  coloring  to  their  assumption  of  a  posi- 
tion not  altogether  different  from  that  of  the  ruling 
elders  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  while  limits  to  over- 
sight being  undefined,  more  abuse  of  it  was  possible. 

This  glance  at  the  situation  before  him  seems  neces- 
sary, in  view  of  the  possible  difficulties  he  foresaw,  and 
the  influence  they  were  destined  to  have  on  his  future. 

An  incident  occurred  within  the  first  month  of  his 
residence,  foreshadowing  coming  events.  An  old  man 
of  large  frame  and  striking  appearance  introduced 
himself  as  formerly  acquainted  with  Bridgeport  and 
its  churches,  but  for  a  long  time  resident  in  the  West. 
"  Accidentally,"  he  said,  he  had  been  present  at  the 
examination  of  the  newly-called  minister,  and  being 
much  interested  in  some  of  his  replies,  he  would  be 
glad  to  get  his  views  still  more  clearly  upon  certain 
doctrinal  points,  and  upon  church  government.  Ac- 
cepting the  statement  of  his  visitor  in  good  faith,  Mr. 
Meier-Smith  answered  his  questions,  which  showed 
much  shrewdness  and  considerable  information,  with- 
out reserve,  and  afterward  found  out  that  he  had  been 
catechised  by  one  of  the  oldest  members  of  the  church. 
Some  natural  indignation  was  felt  when  it  appeared  that 


LITE   IN  BRIDGEPORT.  89 

an  undue  advantage  had  been  gained  by  stratagem,  the 
long  absence  from  Bridgeport  which  his  words  implied 
having  been  but  for  a  few  months.  He  had  purposely 
refrained  from  an  earlier  introduction  to  his  new  pastor 
that  he  might  "  sound  him,"  as  he  expressed  it,  when  he 
was  entirely  "  off  guard." 

Only  brief  notes  remain  of  the  first  years  of  his  pas- 
torate. The  "  Eecord  of  Services  "  indicates  that  in  his 
study  and  thought,  prophetical  Scriptures  took  some 
prominence,  and  particularly  such  as  refer  to  the  Sec- 
ond Coming  of  the  Lord. 

He  became  a  believer  in  the  Pre-Millennial  Advent, 
and  testified  to  the  gain  in  his  own  spiritual  life  from 
the  study  of  this  subject.  Two  or  three  sermons  ad- 
vanced these  views,  and  they  were  often  brought  out  in 
his  familiar  talks  and  lectures. 

The  younger  members  of  the  congregation  were 
strongly  drawn  to  their  pastor,  and  his  personal  influ- 
ence appeared  in  a  steady  increase  of  the  number  ad- 
mitted, on  profession  of  their  faith,  to  the  full  communion 
of  the  church.  Not  a  sacramental  celebration  occurred 
without  accessions  to  the  communion.  There  were  a 
few  among  the  candidates  who  had  been  educated  as 
Unitarians,  and  the  pastor  received  some  criticism  for 
admitting  them  to  the  church.  As  early  as  the  second 
year  of  Mr.  Meier-Smith's  work  in  Bridgeport,  his  broad 
and  catholic  views  with  reference  to  the  privileges  of 
the  Lord's  Table  attracted  attention  and  aroused  some 
opposition. 

From  a  few  whispered  doubts  as  to  the  course  pur- 
sued, the  seed  was  sown  of  a  persistent  conflict,  which, 
unable  to  make  much  headway  during  the  exciting 
years  of  the  Civil  War,  appeared  in  the  latter  part  of 
his  ministry  in  Bridgeport. 


90  LIFE  IN  BRIDGEPORT. 

By  earnest  personal  effort,  and  a  relinquishment  of  a 
part  of  his  salary  for  one  year,  he  secured  the  erection 
of  a  handsome  building  for  the  Sunday-school  and  for 
general  parochial  purposes,  toward  the  close  of  the  year 
1860.  This  chapel  was  first  used  at  the  Christmas 
celebration  of  the  Sunday-school.  It  is  hard  to  believe 
now  that  there  could  have  been  at  that  time  serious  op- 
position from  some  members  of  the  congregation  to 
such  an  observance  of  Christmas. 

But  so  it  was,  and  the  pastor,  always  ready  to  sacri- 
fice his  own  wishes  where  no  principle  was  involved, 
offered  to  postpone  the  festival  for  a  few  days,  if  the 
objectors  would  decide  upon  another  day  in  the  Holiday 
week.  They  selected  the  28th  of  December. 

On  the  appointed  evening  he  remarked  that  it  was  a 
happy  coincidence  that  his  friends  who  disapproved  of 
Christmas  celebrations  for  the  children,  had  selected 
the  day  observed  for  centuries  by  a  large  part  of  the 
Church  in  memory  of  the  Holy  Innocents  I  The  dis- 
may of  a  few,  and  the  amusement  of  many,  may 
be  imagined  when  this  view  of  the  situation  was 
presented. 

In  the  spring  of  1860,  he  with  his  wife  and  a  party 
of  friends  visited  "Washington,  and  Richmond,  Ya.  It 
was  a  period  of  much  repressed  excitement.  The  crisis 
was  rapidly  approaching  which  the  ensuing  presidential 
election  precipitated. 

The  party  were  favored  with  an  interview  with  Pres- 
ident Buchanan  in  his  private  study.  It  was  the 
morning  after  a  stormy  session  of  Congress,  when  the 
President's  policy  had  been  rebuked  by  a  strong  vote. 
Mr.  Buchanan,  dressed  in  morning  nSgligS,  and  stand- 
ing on  the  hearth  before  the  smouldering  embers  of  a 
wood  fire,  looked  careworn  and  dispirited.  Mr.  Meier- 


LIFE   IN  BRIDGEPORT.  91 

Smith  afterward  remarked  that  "  We  had  seen  the 
President  literally  in  '  sackcloth  and  ashes.'  "  In  Rich- 
mond, they  tried  to  see  something  of  the  Southern  "  In- 
stitution" where  it  appeared  under  the  most  favorable 
light.  They  were  much  touched  by  the  conversation 
and  songs  of  the  slaves  in  a  large  tobacco  factory,  and 
afterward  by  the  prayers  and  speeches  at  a  negro  Bap- 
tist church  having  the  largest  communion  of  any  in  the 
Southern  States.  Everywhere  it  was  plain  that  the 
deepest  unrest  prevailed,  and  that  the  slaves  were  look- 
ing forward  with  terrible  anxiety  to  the  result  of  a 
struggle  which  all  felt  sure  was  impending. 

With  his  brother-in-law  he  visited  a  slave  auction, 
and  they  must  have  been  among  the  last  from  the 
Northern  States  who  were  allowed  to  witness  this 
feature  of  slavery,  as  the  estrangement  between  the 
North  and  the  South  became  so  bitter  from  this  time 
that  any  visitor  from  the  North  was  looked  upon  as  a 
spy,  and  shut  out  from  all  confidence.  It  was  indeed 
with  much  difficulty,  and  only  through  the  efforts  of  the 
pastor  of  the  colored  church  above  referred  to,  that  they 
were  witnesses  of  the  painful  scene. 

A  New  England  clergyman  at  this  time  was  expected 
to  be  a  guide  of  public  opinion  and  action,  and  not 
simply  to  be  carried  along  by  the  current.  Mr.  Meier- 
Smith  was  not  behind  others  in  boldly  expressing  him- 
self on  the  exciting  topics  of  public  interest.  The 
nomination  and  election  of  Mr.  Lincoln,  the  threaten- 
ing attitude  of  the  Southern  States,  and  the  deep  dis- 
approbation of  the  loyal  North  at  the  timid  and 
vacillating  course  of  President  Buchanan  and  his  Cabi- 
net, overshadowed  most  other  subjects  during  the  re- 
mainder of  this  year.  The  pastor  of  the  North  Church 
did  not  feel  that  it  was  "preaching  politics"  to  set 


92  LIFE  IN  BRIDGEPORT. 

forth  the  principles  of  civil  government,  considered  as  a 
trust  from  the  Almighty  Rider ;  or  to  rouse  the  public 
conscience  on  the  important  questions  involved  in  the 
unhappy  conflict. 

Two  or  three  sermons  were  preached  in  the  autumn 
of  1860  which  attracted  much  attention,  and  provoked 
violent  criticism  from  local  journals  which  took  the 
other  side.  Some  of  these  attacks  were  extremely 
bitter  and  personal. 

During  the  winter  and  spring  of  1861,  in  spite  of  the 
engrossing  public  questions,  a  steady  religious  interest 
quietly  made  its  way,  and  the  pastor  had  the  happiness 
of  welcoming  a  number  of  his  young  people  to  the 
communion  of  the  church.  Good  Friday  of  this  year 
being  appointed  by  the  Governor  of  Connecticut  as  a 
State  Fast  Day,  union  services  were  held  by  the  Con- 
gregational churches.  The  burden  of  the  prayers  and 
addresses  was  the  distracted  state  of  the  country.  In 
the  address  made  by  Mr.  Meier-Smith,  especial  mention 
was  made  of  Good  Friday  as  observed  by  a  large  major- 
ity of  the  Christian  Church.  Much  exception  was 
taken  to  this  by  a  few  of  his  parishioners.  On  Easter 
Sunday  an  appropriate  sermon  was  preached;  and  in 
the  Sunday-school,  instruction  was  given  regarding  the 
great  festival,  and  the  hope  expressed  that  at  no  distant 
day  all  Christians  would  keep  the  Feast  of  the  Resur- 
rection. Open  disapproval  of  this  teaching  was  ex- 
pressed by  one  individual,  who  complained  tearfully  in 
the  evening  prayer-meeting  of  the  training  of  the  chil- 
dren in  such  "  heathenish  customs  ! " 

This  is  not  the  place  to  speak  at  length  of  the  events 
which  followed  so  rapidly  the  inauguration  of  Mr.  Lin- 
coln. The  fall  of  Fort  Sumter,  the  first  call  for  troops, 
the  upspringing  loyalty  of  the  nation,  the  attack  in  Balti- 


LIFE   IN  BRIDGEPORT.  93 

more,  the  defeat  at  Bull  Run,  —  all  that  these  things 
meant  to  the  loyal  people  of  the  Northern  States,  is  yet 
fresh  in  the  memories  of  those  who  were  on  the  stage 
at  the  time,  though  it  can  be  but  slightly  appreciated 
by  a  later  generation. 

Mr.  Meier-Smith's  "  Eecord  of  Services  "  during  these 
years  shows  a  choice  of  practical  subjects.  The  great 
questions  of  the  day  were  plainly  and  solemnly  pre- 
sented with  increasing  vigor  of  style  and  rhetoric. 
Sermons  on  the  personal  religious  life  were  character- 
ized by  much  illustration  and  fervent  appeal.  The 
influence  of  the  times  was  seen  in  the  directness  of  the 
presentation  of  any  truth.  The  excitement  of  the  period 
influenced  expression  on  every  subject,  and  quiet  argu- 
ment would  have  attracted  few  listeners.  In  July, 
1861,  Mr.  Meier- Smith  was  appointed  to  pfeach  the 
Concio  ad  Clerum  at  New  Haven.  His  subject  was 
the  Personality  and  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  The 
sermon  was  received  with  very  gratifying  commenda- 
tion by  the  large  body  of  clergymen  before  whom  it 
was  preached.  In  the  autumn  of  this  year,  he  preached 
two  sermons  on  Civil  Government ;  and  on  the  Fast  Day 
appointed  by  the  President,  and  on  Thanksgiving  Day, 
his  topics  were  appropriate  to  the  crisis  through  which 
the  nation  was  passing. 

Some  of  the  members  of  the  North  Church,  by  reason 
of  birth  or  associations,  were  sympathizers  with  the 
South,  but  their  pastor's  hold  upon  them  was  retained 
through  all  the  trying  period  of  the  war,  as  he  never 
suffered  them  to  feel  that  his  interest  in  them  was 
lessened,  or  forgot,  in  private  intercourse,  the  respect 
due  to  their  opinions,  fearlessly  as  he  expressed  his 
own  on  all  proper  occasions. 

In  1863,  Columbia  College  conferred  upon  him  the 


94  LIFE  IN  BRIDGEPORT. 

degree  of  Doctor  of  Sacred  Theology.  He  was  espe- 
cially gratified  by  the  kind  remembrance  of  his  Alma 
Mater,  as  it  was  out  of  its  usual  course  to  confer  this 
degree  upon  non-Episcopal  clergymen.  A  characteris- 
tic remark  appears  in  his  diary :  "  Columbia  College  has 
given  me  D.D.,  which  I  consent  to  wear  because  my 
unfortunately  common  surname  demands  all  the  dis- 
tinctiveness  I  can  get!" 


IX. 

LIFE  IN  BKIDGEPOKT. 
1863-1865. 

A  LLUSION  has  been  made  to  a  small  number  of 
-£~~*-  persons  who  had  constituted  themselves  critics 
of  their  pastor  during  the  first  year  of  his  ministry  in 
Bridgeport.  They  were  represented  by  the  old  man, 
whose  surreptitious  introduction  of  himself  to  the  new 
clergyman  has  been  already  mentioned,  and  by  two  or 
three  others  who,  jealous  of  ministerial  influence,  were 
ambitious  to  control  the  spiritual  as  well  as  the  tem- 
poral affairs  of  the  parish. 

During  the  latter  part  of  Dr.  Meier-Smith's  pastorate 
many  efforts  were  made  by  these  men  to  create  extended 
dissatisfaction,  but  with  small  success  beyond  the  an- 
noyance of  constant  friction.  The  parish  generally  was 
thoroughly  loyal,  and,  whenever  a  question  of  policy 
was  fairly  presented,  always  sustained  its  pastor.  The 
grounds  of  fault  finding  were  that  he  was  "  no  true  Con- 
gregationalist ;  "  that  he  was  "  at  heart  a  Presbyterian ; " 
that  he  was  "  half  an  Episcopalian,"  —  witness  his  re- 
gard for  solemn,  reverent  worship  and  his  wish  to 
observe  "  certain  days  ; "  that  he  made  "  too  much  of 
baptism ; "  and,  as  a  crowning  offence,  that  he  was 
loose  and  unguarded  in  his  invitations  to  the  Holy 
Communion,  admitting  youth  whom  they  considered  un- 
prepared, as  well  as  persons  of  "  Unitarian  tendencies." 


96  LIFE  IN  BRIDGEPORT. 

Little  sympathy  was  aroused  on  most  of  these  points, 
but  on  the  last  mentioned  some  anxiety  was  manifested 
by  a  few  of  Dr.  Meier-Smith's  warmest  friends.  He 
assured  them  that  his  practice  was  strictly  in  accord- 
ance with  that  of  the  leading  churches  and  ministers 
of  the  Congregational  denomination.  Animated  and 
sometimes  heated  discussions  upon  this  point  became 
the  rule  in  the  evening  meetings.  Some  of  these 
discussions  were  amusing  as  well  as  annoying,  and 
Dr.  Meier-Smith's  old  friends  tell  various  stories  of 
his  wise,  and  .  often  humorous  methods  of  confuting 
his  opponents.  The  vexed  question  was  settled  on  the 
pastor's  side,  by  the  answers  received  from  distinguished 
authorities  in  reply  to  questions  as  to  general  New 
England  usage. 

Before  this  finale,  however,  an  incident  occurred 
illustrating  Dr.  Meier-Smith's  prompt  action  where 
a  question  of  principle  was  involved.  By  represent- 
ing that  the  pastor  cared  little  about  the  matter,  and 
would  willingly  concede  the  point  if  he  were  assured 
of  the  wishes  of  a  majority,  the  leading  spirits  of  the 
opposition  secured  a  large  number  of  names  to  a  peti- 
tion requesting  him  to  alter  his  invitation  to  the 
Communion,  so  that  only  members  of  Congregational 
churches  could  be  admitted  even  to  occasional  partici- 
pation in  the  Lord's  Supper. 

This  paper  was  handed  to  Dr.  Meier-Smith  on  a 
Friday  evening.  After  reading  it,  and  asking  a  few 
questions,  he  saw  at  once  how  the  names  had  been 
procured.  Handing  it  back  he  said,  "  The  Table  is 
the  Lord's,  not  mine.  All  baptized  persons  who  love 
our  Lord  and  wish  to  obey  His  command,  and  who 
have  professed  their  faith  in  Him,  are  welcome.  I 
will  never  give  a  more  restricted  invitation,  and  I 


LIFE  IN  BRIDGEPORT.  97 

know  that  many  who  have  signed  this  without  confer- 
ence with  me,  would  never  ask  me  to  do  anything  I 
cannot  do  without  treachery  to  my  principles.  If 
every  name  on  this  paper  is  not  withdrawn  by  to- 
morrow night,  I  shall  offer  my  resignation  on  Sun- 
day morning."  No  entreaty  from  even  his  most  valued 
friends,  who  represented  to  him  the  difficulty  of  meet- 
ing his  ultimatum  on  such  short  notice,  moved  him. 
The  result  was  that  the  parish  was  diligently  can- 
vassed on  Saturday,  and  late  in  the  evening  the  paper 
was  returned  to  him  with  the  pen  drawn  through 
every  name  upon  it  but  those  of  the  leaders  in  the 
movement.  At  the  close  of  the  Sunday  morning  ser- 
vice, Dr.  Meier-Smith  made  a  brief  allusion  to  the  mat- 
ter, expressing  his  gratification  that  his  friends  whose 
names  had  been  affixed  to  the  paper  under  a  misappre- 
hension had  withdrawn  them,  thereby  testifying  to 
their  confidence  in  their  pastor's  fidelity  to  his  convic- 
tions. His  peremptory  action  at  this  crisis  he  con- 
sidered justifiable  in  view  of  the  long  contest  which 
had  preceded  it. 

From  the  "  Record  of  Services "  at  the  close  of  the 
year  1863 :  "  The  year  has  been  in  some  respects  a 
favored  one.  There  has  been  much  religious  interest 
among  the  young,  and  I  trust  twenty-five  or  thirty 
have  given  themselves  truly  to  our  blessed  Lord.  In 
other  respects  it  has  been  a  year  of  trial.  Some 
troublesome  parishioners,  few  in  number  indeed,  have 
been  very  fractious,  but  they  have  been  entirely  unsuc- 
cessful, excepting  as  drags  upon  my  ministry,  in  what 
they  have  undertaken." 

In  the  early  part  of  the  year  1864,  much  religious 
interest  was  general  in  the  congregations  of  the  town. 
A  well-known  evangelist  was  invited  to  conduct  union 


98  LIFE  IN  BRIDGEPORT. 

services.  Some  of  his  methods  were  of  doubtful  ex- 
pediency, and  though  Dr.  Meier-Smith  consented  to 
allow  services  in  his  church,  he  reserved  to  himself 
the  right  to  guide  them.  These  services  resulted  in 
the  addition  of  many  to  the  communion  of  the  church, 
whose  consistent  lives  bore  witness  to  the  reality  of 
their  experience. 

The  topics  chosen  for  sermons  and  addresses  for  this 
year  appear  from  the  "  Record  "  to  have  been  of  an 
unusually  solemn  and  impressive  character,  and  directly 
addressed  to  the  heart  and  conscience. 

He  speaks  of  the  apparent  result  of  the  special  evan- 
gelistic work,  in  a  letter  to  his  mother,  dated  March 
23,  1864:  — 

As  I  write  this  date,  I  remember  that  it  is  my 
father's  birthday.  Let  me  begin  by  offering  through 
you  my  congratulations  to  the  "  old  gentleman "  of 
sixty-six.  I  could  show  him  some  very  much  older 
men  of  fifty-six. 

And,  by  the  way,  I  saw  a  woman  of  fifty-four  to-day 
who  looks  beside  you  more  like  sixty-four  than  you  do 
like  fifty-eight.  Ah,  dear  parents,  how  more  and  more 
I  pray  each  year  and  every  time  I  see  you  that  God  may 
give  you  both  a  delightful  evening  of  life,  a  good  long 
summer  evening,  whose  twilight  shall  not  be  dim  until 
the  glorious  morning  absorb  it  and  make  the  new  day, 
the  day  fadeless  and  eternal.  I  do  not  call  you  "old 
people  "  yet,  but  I  hope  you  will  one  of  these  years  be 
"  old  people  "  always  young.  .  .  . 

The  results  of  our  time  of  religious  interest,  now  that 
the  extension  of  the  work  has  ceased,  are  looking  well. 
Twenty -five  have  been  examined  and  approved  for  full 
membership,  and  more  are  to  be. 


LIFE  IN  BRIDGEPORT.  99  , 

I  have  been  working  very  hard  since  February  1st, 
every  day.  Next  Sunday,  Easter,  I  mean,  if  possible, 
to  be  with  you. 

Your  loving  son,  MATSON. 

Many  anecdotes  are  told  by  old  friends  in  Bridgeport 
of  Dr.  Meier-Smith's  ready  tact  in  meeting  and  conquer- 
ing small  obstacles.  He  seemed  to  know  by  intuition 
the  methods  best  suited  to  those  among  whom  he  served, 
as  one  incident  may  illustrate. 

During  one  cold  winter  he  suffered  much  from  the 
many  broken  panes  of  glass  in  the  large  windows  in- 
closing the  pulpit  recess.  The  winds  whistled  about 
his  ears,  and  he  called  attention  in  vain  to  the  subject, 
the  repairs  being  constantly  neglected.  In  the  middle 
of  a  sermon  one  morning,  he  paused,  glancing  from  win- 
dow to  window.  Then  leaving  the  desk,  he  put  on  his 
heavy  overcoat,  deliberately  fastening  each  button,  and 
drawing  up  the  collar  about  his  neck.  Apologizing  for 
the  interruption,  he  remarked  that  he  had  previously 
counted  the  broken  panes,  and  found  that  there  were 
over  one  hundred  through  which  the  wind  found  its 
way.  The  next  morning  the  glazier  was  promptly  on 
hand.  It  should  be  added  to  the  credit  of  the  good 
brethren  of  the  committee  in  charge  of  the  building, 
that  they  took  in  the  best  of  humor  the  public  notice 
of  their  carelessness,  telling  the  story  themselves  with 
satisfaction  at  the  bold  rebuke  of  their  pastor.  "  He 
knows  men  and  how  to  meet  them,"  was  the  comment 
of  a  shrewd  observer  who  watched  him  in  Bridgeport 
with  not  too  friendly  interest. 

The  place  has  now  been  reached  in  the  life  of  the 
subject  of  this  Memoir,  when  it  is  necessary  to  speak  of 
the  long  period  of  thought  and  mental  conflict  which 


100  LIFE   IN  BRIDGEPORT. 

led  to  his  decision  to  seek  Orders  in  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  Church.  The  seeds  of  this  change  were 
sown  in  early  youth.  His  acquaintance  with  litur- 
gical services  from  childhood  has  been  already  noticed. 
Churchly  ideas  were  always  familiar  to  him.  From 
the  beginning  of  his  ministry  he  held  high  views  of 
the  Sacraments  and  of  Orders,  though  not  higher  than 
those  expressed  in  Presbyterian  standards,  as  he  under- 
stood them ;  and  it  is  not  unlikely  that  he  would  have 
remained  in  the  Church  of  his  nurture,  had  he  not  been 
called  into  New  England. 

While  the  excitements  of  the  war-days  engrossed 
much  of  his  time,  in  1863  and  1864,  in  the  quiet  of 
his  study,  and  in  the  inner  life,  questions  and  diffi- 
culties regarding  his  own  future  ministry  began  to 
make  themselves  heard  and  felt. 

Reviewing  his  twelve  years'  service  under  the  Con- 
gregational system,  Dr.  Meier-Smith  recognized  that  he 
had  not  been  in  full  sympathy  with  the  prevailing  tone 
of  ministers  and  congregations. 

Many  things  which  seemed  to  him  of  first  impor- 
tance were  lightly  regarded  both  in  theory  and  practice 
among  those  with  whom  he  was  associated.  Lay  par- 
ticipation in  the  spiritual  oversight  of  the  Church  he 
considered  unauthorized  by  either  Scriptural  rule  or 
catholic  usage. 

The  practice  of  holding  the  children  of  the  Church 
at  arm's  length,  requiring  assent  from  them  to  a  doc- 
trinal confession  and  a  profession  of  a  personal  expe- 
rience, often  impossible  for  their  years,  was  opposed 
to  all  his  convictions. 

Subscription  to  the  catholic  creeds  was  not  enough 
to  admit  to  the  communion  of  the  church ;  and  in  the 
Articles  of  Faith,  which  were  prepared  by  each  con- 


LIFE  IN  BRIDGEPORT.  101 

gregation  for  its  own  use,  he  found  unbalanced  and 
distorted  presentations  of  doctrine,  which  he  could 
not  subscribe  to  himself,  or  require  of  others. 

Yet  to  all  this  he  must  conform  if  he  remained 
a  Congregatioualist.  To  oppose  was  to  suffer  from 
constant  friction.  The  atmosphere  of  conflict  was 
uncongenial  to  him,  and  he  knew  that  in  such  an 
atmosphere  he  could  never  do  the  work  he  aspired 
to  accomplish. 

The  entire  subordination  of  worship  to  preaching,  and 
the  absence  of  reverence  in  conducting  worship,  were 
distasteful  to  him ;  yet  he  always  repelled  the  charge 
that  matters  of  taste,  or  any  superficial  considerations, 
bore  any  appreciable  weight  in  his  final  decision. 

Studying  the  doctrine  and  worship  of  various  Chris- 
tian bodies,  he  found  himself  much  in  sympathy  with 
the  Anglican  Communion.  At  times,  again,  he  felt 
strongly  drawn  toward  the  grand  old  Presbyterian 
Church  where  his  ministry  commenced.  Within  two 
or  three  years,  however,  he  was  prepared  to  say  that 
in  worship  and  in  doctrine,  especially  regarding  sac- 
raments, and  in  general  administrative  methods,  he 
could  more  heartily  affiliate  with  the  Protestant  Epis- 
copal Church  than  with  any  other.  But  here  he 


Were  these  convictions  strong  enough  to  warrant  so 
great  a  break  and  change,  a  step  which  must  involve  so 
much  sacrifice  and  must  provoke  so  much  criticism  ? 
He  was  now  brought  face  to  face  with  the  claims  of 
historic  Episcopacy. 

Although  the  important  questions  pressing  upon 
him  were  not  fully  answered  until  his  release  from 
his  Bridgeport  pastorate,  he  now  began  to  realize 
whither  he  was  being  led. 


102  LIFE  IN  BRIDGEPORT. 

In  the  autumn  of  1864,  Dr.  Meier-Smith  was  called 
to  a  Presbyterian  church  in  New  York  City.  Many  of 
his  friends  among  the  clergy  pressed  his  acceptance  of 
this  call,  and  from  his  growing  unrest  in  Congrega- 
tionalism he  was  almost  ready  to  accept  a  position 
which  promised  relief. 

The  possibility  however  of  deepening  convictions  on 
the  side  of  a  still  more  radical  change  finally  influenced 
him  to  decline  it.  The  congregation  which  he  visited 
were  greatly  disappointed.  From  the  letter  acknowl- 
edging the  receipt  of  his  decision  an  extract  is  made. 

"  The  unanimity  of  feeling  that  shadowed  our  choice,  the 
deep  and  growing  interest  awakened  by  your  visit  to  our 
church,  and  the  results  that  followed  it,  all  seemed  to  be  indi- 
cations of  Providence  that  God  would  give  you  to  us  as  a 
spiritual  guide.  ...  I  shall  never  forget  Dr.  Meier-Smith,  of 
Bridgeport,  and  my  heart's  desire  for  you  is  that  your  life 
and  health  may  be  spared  to  accomplish  the  great  work  for 
which  God  has  fitted  and  prepared  you." 

The  year  1865  opened  with  national  events  of  the 
gravest  importance.  Everything  pointed  to  the  col- 
lapse of  the  Great  Rebellion.  The  absorbing  interest  all 
felt  in  public  affairs  did  not  interfere  with  faithful  pas- 
toral work.  It  is  remembered  by  Dr.  Meier-Smith's  old 
friends  that  the  last  year  of  his  ministry  in  Bridgeport 
was  marked  by  more  than  usual  fervor  and  directness 
in  preaching.  The  deep  thinking  and  heart-searching 
concerning  his  own  future  doubtless  made  him  espe- 
cially solemn  and  tender  in  all  his  approaches  to  his 
people. 

He  was  superintendent  of  his  Sunday-school  at  this 
time,  and  saw  many  happy  results  from  his  work  among 
the  young  members  of  his  charge. 


LIFE   IN  BRIDGEPORT.  103 

The  annoying  opposition  on  the  part  of  the  mal-con- 
tents  continued,  and  in  the  spring  of  1865  they  were 
evidently  preparing  for  a  more  open  attack. 

On  the  anniversary  of  the  fall  of  Fort  Sumter  the 
stars  and  stripes  again  waved  over  the  fortress,  and  in 
quick  succession  followed  the  fall  of  Eichmond  and  the 
surrender  of  Lee.  The  enthusiasm  was  at  its  highest 
pitch,  and  the  roar  of  the  guns  celebrating  the  consum- 
mation had  scarcely  died  on  the  air,  when  there  came  the 
terrible  shock  of  the  assassination  of  President  Lincoln. 
While  the  country,  and  indeed  all  civilization,  stood 
aghast,  while  the  churches  as  well  as  all  the  dwellings 
were  draped  in  mourning,  it  occurred  to  the  small  com- 
pany who  hoped  to  coerce  their  pastor,  that  the  time 
had  come  for  a  bold  stroke. 

On  Easter  Sunday,  the  16th  of  April,  the  North 
Church  was  crowded.  The  solemn  signs  of  bereave- 
ment were  everywhere,  and  almost  every  face  was  that 
of  a  mourner.  After  the  prayers,  the  appropriate  Scrip- 
tures, and  the  requiem  music,  as  Dr.  Meier-Smith  was 
about  to  commence  an  address  prepared  for  the  oc- 
casion, an  interruption  was  caused  by  the  appearance 
of  one  of  the  men  who  had  been  conspicuous  as  an 
opponent.  He  went  into  the  pulpit  and  presented 
the  pastor  with  a  paper.  Dr.  Meier-Smith  glanced  at 
its  contents,  and  found  that  it  was  a  call  for  a  meeting 
of  the  church  on  the  next  evening,  ostensibly  for  some 
unimportant  business.  The  names  appended,  no  less 
than  the  time  chosen  to  present  the  paper,  were  suffi- 
cient to  assure  the  pastor  upon  a  moment's  consideration 
that  another  purpose  was  veiled  under  the  innocent  re- 
quest. He  knew  that  only  those  in  the  secret  would 
attend  a  meeting  called  for  so  trivial  an  object,  at  a 
time  of  such  great  public  excitement.  The  real  pur- 


104  LIFE  IN  BRIDGEPORT. 

pose  was  to  assail  the  pastor,  and  secure  a  formal  cen- 
sure upon  his  course  with  reference  to  the  terms  for 
church  communion.  He  read  the  paper  aloud,  with 
its  signatures,  then  pausing  a  moment  said,  "Another 
subject  will  also  be  brought  before  the  meeting  which 
I  have  called  at  the  request  of  some  members  of  this 
church.  The  church  will  be  called  upon  to  act  upon 
my  resignation,  which  is  hereby  offered  to  this  church 
and  congregation.  The  reasons  which  call  for  this  un- 
expected announcement  are  probably  plain  to  all,  and 
will  be  given  in  full  at  a  more  appropriate  season.  For 
the  apparent  want  of  decorous  respect  to  the  august 
occasion  which  calls  a  mourning  congregation  here 
to-day,  by  the  intrusion  of  personal  affairs  upon  the 
public  attention,  I  offer  no  apology.  The  responsibility 
must  rest  on  those  who  have  forced  the  issue  upon  me." 
Then  throwing  aside  all  appearance  of  further  interest 
in  the  matter,  he  delivered  an  eloquent  address  upon 
the  great  calamity  that  had  befallen  the  nation.  The 
congregation  were  deeply  moved.  Already  strung  to  a 
high  pitch  of  emotion,  the  sudden  prospect  of  losing 
the  beloved  pastor  was  too  much  for  many  to  bear  with 
calmness.  The  signers  of  the  paper,  realizing  the  situa- 
tion, retired  rapidly  at  the  close  of  the  services,  while 
a  large  number  gathered  about  their  pastor,  and  affec- 
tionately urged  him  to  recede  from  his  position.  This  he 
firmly  declined  to  do,  though  he  afterward  consented  to 
remain  in  charge  of  the  parish  until  the  first  of  July. 
At  the  church  meetings  which  followed,  Dr.  Meier- 
Smith  was  almost  unanimously  sustained,  although 
his  resignation  was  accepted  finally  at  his  peremptory 
request.  The  resolutions  passed  by  the  church  were 
all  that  could  be  desired,  in  expressions  of  regard  and 
affection,  and  of  sorrow  at  the  severance  of  the  relation. 


LIFE   IN  BRIDGEPORT.  105 

"When  this  was  finally  settled,  Dr.  Meier-Smith  gave 
himself  entirely  to  the  consideration  of  the  important 
change  so  long  before  his  mind.  Many  and  anxious 
were  the  conferences  held  in  his  study :  sometimes  alone 
with  his  wife,  who  dared  not  advise,  but  stood  ever  close 
to  her  husband's  side,  and  ready  to  go  with  him  wherever 
he  was  led ;  sometimes  with  dear  family  friends,  nearly 
all  of  whom  were  affectionately  urging  him  to  take  no 
step  so  radical,  and  so  fraught  with  peril ;  occasionally 
with  clergymen  of  the  Episcopal  Church,  from  whom 
he  did  not  receive  much  encouragement.  Beyond  kind 
sympathy  in  his  perplexity,  and  the  hope  expressed 
that  he  would  be  cordially  received  if  he  asked  admis- 
sion to  the  Church,  no  one  contributed  materially  to 
the  result.  His  friend,  Dr.  Dyer,  gave  him  the  in- 
formation needed  for  intelligent  action,  and  promised 
him  such  kind  introduction  as  was  possible;  but  he 
plainly  set  the  difficulties  before  him,  and  told  him 
that  it  might  be  long  before  he  could  find  a  work  and  a 
position  equal  to  that  which  he  was  leaving.  Dr.  Dyer 
wrote :  "  I  wish  some  post  could  be  offered  to  you  in 
advance,  but  this  seems  highly  improbable.  I  think 
you  will  have  to  shut  your  eyes  tight  and  jump;  but 
don't  jump  while  providential  difficulties  deter  you." 
The  Canon  requiring  a  six  months'  candidature  without 
employment  was  a  great  deterrent.  It  required  a 
strong  sense  of  duty  and  no  little  faith  to  "jump" 
into  such  uncertainties.  Dr.  Meier-Smith  spoke  freely 
after  this  time  to  his  most  trusted  friends  in  Bridgeport 
of  his  probable  decision.  Many  expressed  their  grief, 
and  one  dear  old  man  of  really  catholic  spirit  retained 
so  strongly  early  Puritan  prejudices  against  the  Episco- 
pal Church,  that  he  said  with  tears  in  his  eyes,  "  Much 
as  I  love  you,  I  would  rather  stand  by  your  grave  than 
see  you  go  into  the  Episcopal  Church !  " 


106  LIFE   IN  BRIDGEPORT. 

In  the  review  of  this  pastorate,  Dr.  Meier-Smith 
writes,  "  I  have,  during  the  six  years  of  my  ministry 
here,  admitted  one  hundred  and  seventy -six  persons  to 
the  communion  of  the  church,  and  have  preached 
seven  hundred  and  fifty-six  times."  In  speaking  of 
these  years  he  said  that  they  seemed  to  him  years  of 
peculiarly  vigorous  life  and  work.  Occurrences  inci- 
dental to  the  war  contributed  largely  to  this,  in  the 
pulpit  and  out  of  it.  Pastoral  visitation  often  included 
scenes  of  touching  interest,  as  partings  in  families  were 
constantly  occurring,  and  every  great  battle  brought 
anxiety,  and  often  mourning  and  desolation  into  the 
homes  of  some  of  his  people.  Naturally,  very  tender 
ties  were  formed  between  pastor  and  people,  for  his 
ready  sympathy  brought  him  at  once  to  every  one  in 
trouble,  with  the  counsel  and  help  needed  for  the  emer- 
gency. To  all  such,  his  decision  to  leave  Bridgeport 
brought  sincere  sorrow ;  the  more  that  he  seemed  to  be 
going  very  far  away  from  them,  in  leaving  the  Congre- 
gational denomination.  The  last  two  months  were 
burdened  by  the  parting  in  prospect,  and  the  service  in 
which  he  delivered  his  farewell  address  on  the  last 
Sunday  in  June,  was  an  ordeal  he  said  he  would  never 
like  to  pass  through  again.  On  the  first  Sunday  of 
July,  Dr.  Meier-Smith  and  his  family  received  the  Holy 
Communion  in  Christ  Church,  Bridgeport,  and  this  was 
the  first  open  intimation  of  what  was  now  practically 
settled.  Yet  even  then  he  listened  to  the  remonstrances 
of  friends,  and  prayerfully  weighed  anything  which 
might  be  an  indication  of  the  will  of  God. 

A  delegation  from  one  of  the  largest  cities  in  Massa- 
chusetts visited  him  with  the  plan  for  an  enterprise  of 
which  they  wished  him  to  take  the  lead.  Dissatisfied 
with  Congregational  doctrine  and  worship,  they  pro- 


LIFE  IN  BRIDGEPORT.  107 

posed  organizing  an  independent  church  on  the  basis  of 
the  Ancient  Creeds,  and  with  a  Liturgy  largely  drawn 
from  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer.  They  offered  to 
contribute  liberally,  and  to  give  him  the  entire  direction. 
This  was  a  tempting  prospect,  but  he  knew  the  dangers 
of  independency,  and  had  no  disposition  to  lead  off  in 
another  sect,  even  if  it  were  limited  to  one  congregation. 
He  was  constrained  to  decline  the  offer,  though  with 
grateful  appreciation  of  the  confidence  shown  him  by 
the  gentlemen  interested. 

By  this  time  his  convictions  had  become  settled  that 
there  was  a  Church  and  an  Order  that  could  rightly 
claim  to  be  Catholic  and  Apostolic. 

The  long  period  of  anxious  thought  ended  with  the 
summer,  when  the  full  decision  was  reached  to  apply 
for  Holy  Orders  and  become  a  candidate  in  the  Diocese 
of  Massachusetts.  Some  clerical  friends  desired  that 
he  should  be  appointed  to  a  vacant  chair  in  the  Divinity 
School  of  Gambier,  Ohio,  which  position  he  could  take 
before  ordination.  Bishop  Mcllvaine  at  first  responded 
favorably  to  the  wishes  of  Dr.  Meier-Smith's  friends, 
but  finally  decided  that  it  was  not  wise  to  pass  over  the 
claims  of  others  proposed,  in  favor  of  one  not  yet  in 
the  ministry  of  the  Church.  Dr.  Meier-Smith  was  not 
disappointed  at  this  result,  as  his  own  preference  was 
decidedly  for  a  rectorship.  He  wrote  to  his  father-in- 
law  after  his  decision,  "  You  may  be  sure  that  it  is  not 
without  much  pain  and  solicitude  that  I  make  the 
transition.  Yet  my  convictions  on  the  score  of  useful- 
ness, however  greatly  I  may  have  erred,  have  been  too 
strong  for  resistance.  The  positive  Congregationalism 
demanded  among  Congregationalists,  —  the  aggressive 
Congregationalism,  —  I  cannot  conscientiously  main- 
tain. The  Presbyterian  Church  is  abundantly  supplied. 


108  LIFE  IN  BRIDGEPORT. 

Evangelical  Episcopalians  need  help.  I  can  enter  their 
Church  on  their  Catholic  ground,  and  work  with  them. 
So  I  have  taken  the  step.  I  need  the  prayers  and  sym- 
pathies of  my  loving  friends  that  I  may  be  a  better  and 
more  useful  minister  in  my  new  relations  than  ever 
before." 

In  the  "  Record  of  Services,"  the  notes  of  the  ministry 
in  Bridgeport  close  with  these  words:  "Here  endeth 
the  First  Lesson." 

Twenty-one  years  later,  letters  were  received  from 
former  parishioners,  from  some  of  which  passages  are 
copied.  They  give  evidence  of  what  Dr.  Meier-Smith 
was  as  friend  and  pastor  while  hi  Bridgeport,  and  of 
the  abiding  nature  of  his  influence,  surviving  the  sepa- 
rations and  changes  of  the  long  years  that  had  passed 
since  he  was  the  beloved  guide  and  helper  of  the 
writers. 

From  Mrs.  Eliza  Webster  Jones. 

BRIDGEPORT,  April  5,  1887. 

...  I  cannot  forget  the  kindness  of  your  husband,  —  his 
swift  and  dearly  prized  sympathy  in  our  deep  troubles.  That 
precious  letter  is  written  in  my  heart !  How  it  comforted 
me !  Now  he  is  where  the  mysteries  of  divine  Providence 
are  being  unfolded  before  him.  What  precious  memories  he 
has  left  for  you,  dear  Mary,  and  for  your  beloved  ones.  You 
will  miss  his  kindly  greetings  more  and  more  as  years  roll  on  ; 
but  more  and  more  you  will  be  able  to  rejoice  in  the  review 
of  his  beautiful  life,  and  of  his  early  escape  from  the  troubles 
which  are  darkly  shadowing  the  people  of  God,  in  these  days 
when  He  is  trying  the  faith  of  those  who  love  Him,  as  never 
before.  I  have  often  said  that  while  here,  and  so  closely  as- 
sociated with  our  family  and  church,  he  was  always  the 
Christian  gentleman  in  feeling,  soul,  and  action,  whatever 
provocation  sorely  tried  him.  To  me  he  was  a  model 
man  !  . 


LIFE  IN  BRIDGEPORT.  109 

I  now  use  your  husband's  gift,  —  the  New  Testament  in 
large  type,  —  in  my  daily  reading,  for  my  old  Bible  has  fallen 
to  pieces.  When  I  first  took  it  up  after  his  death  was  known, 
I  involuntarily  pressed  it  to  my  heart.  His  words,  "  In 
memory  of  Golden  Hours,"  are  inscribed  within  it. 

From   Mrs.  Eliza  B.   Wordin. 

BRIDGEPORT,  April  9, 1887. 

...  I  was  very  glad  to  hear  and  to  know  something  of 
Dr.  Meier-Smith's  last  days.  I  cannot  express  to  you  the 
thoughts  that  come  to  me  as  I  write  these  words.  I  could 
take  him  up,  where  I  last  left  him.  He  had  not  gone  away 
from  me,  or  I  rather  had  not  gone  out  of  his  life.  .  .  . 

I  think  it  was  characteristic  of  him  to  throw  his  interest 
and  sympathy  so  much  into  the  lives  of  his  friends,  that  they 
must  all  feel  as  I  do.  No  words  that  may  be  said  in  his 
praise  are  enough  to  express  what  he  was  to  those  Avho  were 
so  fortunate  as  to  be  his  friends. 


My  heart  is  divided  between  pity  and  tenderness  for  you, 
and  joy  and  triumph  for  him.  I  am  so  glad  that  he  has 
heard  the  "  Well  done,  good  and  faithful  servant."  I  know 
that  that  was  the  plaudit  which  welcomed  him,  as  I  think  of 
the  many  who  have  been  cheered  and  comforted  by  him, 
of  the  many  who  have  been  led  to  the  Saviour  by  him,  and 
of  those  whose  Christian  life  has  been  rekindled  by  his  strong 
encouraging  words.  How  many  there  are  who  loved  him  for 
his  earnest  help  in  their  time  of  need  !  You  are  rich  in  hav- 
ing had  such  an  one  for  your  constant  companion,  your 
loving  helper,  your  tender  sympathizing  husband ;  you  are 
rich  now  in  having  him  at  the  Court  of  the  King. 

To  me,  Dr.  Meier-Smith  was  always  a  true,  helpful  friend, 
as  I  know  he  was  to  others.  I  never  had  such  a  love  for  any 
one  as  I  had  for  him.  I  never  had  such  a  pastor.  I  never 
expect  to  have  another,  but  I  thank  God  that  I  had  him. 


110  LIFE  IN  BRIDGEPORT. 

His  going  has  made  a  sad  spot  in  my  life,  for  though  I  saw 
little  of  him,  I  was  sure  I  had  one  friend  to  whom  I  could 
turn  in  any  time  of  need. 

From   Miss  Mary   Clarice. 

BEIDGEPOHT,  October,  1887. 

.  .  .  About  dear  Dr.  Meier-Smith,  my  recollection  of  him. 
is  this,  that  while  very  instructive  and  interesting  as  a 
preacher,  always  feeding  us  spiritually,  he  was  pre-eminently 
beloved  as  pastor  and  friend  among  his  people,  and  a  most 
welcome  visitor  at  the  bedside  of  the  sick  and  dying.  His 
loving,  winning  manner,  his  cheerful  presence,  the  soothing 
Christ-like  words  from  his  lips  carried  comfort  and.  help,  and 
left  its  impress  when  he  had  departed.  Often  have  I  con- 
trasted him  with  others  I  have  known,  only  to  think  and  say 
what  a  blessed  gift  he  had  for  helping  sick  and  weary  ones  in 
this  troublous  life,  and  how  willingly  and  freely  he  used  it. 
As  a  family  we  always  enjoyed  his  incoming.  Personally  as  to 
myself,  his  voice  always  had  wondrous  cheer  for  me ;  I  can 
hear  it  now  even  though  he  is  with  the  angels,  and  with 
many  whom  he  has  led  and  helped  into  our  Father's  House. 

From  Mrs.  Frances  Lord  MacLellan. 

BRIDGEPORT,  April  2,  1887. 

.  .  .  Next  to  being  held  close  in  the  everlasting  arms  of 
the  loving  Saviour,  it  seems  to  me  your  comfort  will  be  the 
memory  of  him  "  who  is  not,  for  God  took  him."  The  re- 
membrance of  that  great,  true,  noble  life  which  you  have 
shared,  the  companionship  of  those  blessed  years  together, 
all  the  memories  that  cluster  round  those  years,  the  loving, 
protecting  care  that  has  always  been  yours,  the  wifely  devo- 
tion which  you  gave  to  him,  —  thinking  of  all  these,  how 
rich  you  are,  how  few  who  sorrow  have  such  a  past !  .  .  . 

When  I  think  of  you  without  him  in  the  beautiful  home 
endeared  by  his  love  and  life,  my  heart  breaks  for  you,  and  I 


LIFE  IN  BRIDGEPORT.  Ill 

feel  that  words  are  feeble  and  cannot  express  my  thought. 
Perhaps  I  ought  hardly  to  touch  upon  my  own  sense  of  loss 
and  affliction,  so  light  must  it  seem  in  comparison  with  yours  ; 
but,  dear  friend,  you  do  not  know  how  dear  to  me  you  both, 
are.  A  thrill  goes  through  me  as  I  think  perhaps  he  knows 
now. 

Why  you  have  been  such  faithful  friends  to  me  I  never 
could  and  cannot  now  discover  ;  but  your  loving-kindness  to 
me,  when  I  was  but  a  girl,  so  bound  my  heart  to  you  both, 
that  my  love  for  both  has  been  deeper  and  truer  than  for  any 
friends  in  the  world  beside,  save  those  of  my  own  fireside. 

Oh,  how  I  longed  to  stand  by  that  casket,  and  look  again 
upon  that  tender  and  true  face  ere  it  was  shut  out  from  my 
sight !  To  let  my  tears  mingle  with  the  tears  of  others  who 
loved  him  !  .  .  .  I  shall  always  be  "  sorrowing  that  I  shall 
see  his  face  no  more."  Could  I  have  stood  there  and  laid  one 
little  flower  as  a  tribute  of  affection  upon  his  casket,  it  would 
have  been  a  "  forget-me-not,"  as  a  token  that  I  could  never 
forget  what  he  was  to  me,  he  who  was  pre-eminently  my  pas- 
tor and  friend.  He  was  to  me  always  the  "  Great-heart  "  of 
Banyan's  allegory.  His  loving,  faithful  preaching,  his  earnest, 
personal  appeals  —  always  so  tender  and  loving  —  led  me  to 
my  Saviour.  My  mother's  prayers  and  his  words  are  linked 
together  in  my  heart.  I  told  him  once  in  those  days  that  I 
did  not  want  to  be  talked  to.  He  ceased  talking,  but  kept 
on  praying  until  my  stony  heart  broke;  then  he  was  my 
guide,  leading  me  by  still  waters  and  into  green  pastures. 

Memory  has  been  very  busy  this  past  week  bringing  out 
of  her  storehouse  treasured  store  of  many  years.  I  have  re- 
called my  pastor  of  the  North  Church,  our  meetings  there  of 
prayer  and  praise,  of  which  he  was  the  head  and  life ;  so 
many  incidents  of  those  days  showing  his  great,  kind  heart. 
He  is  linked  in  thought  with  that  only  brother  who  filled  a 
soldier's  grave.  Said  that  brother  once  to  my  mother,  "  Dr. 
Meier-Smith  is  the  only  man  who  seems  to  care  for  my 
soul"  Once,  upon  a  railway  train,  meeting  that  brother,  he 


112  LIFE  IN  BRIDGEPORT. 

engaged  him  a  moment  in  conversation,  then  with  a  hearty 
hand-shake  said,  "  Good-by  ;  there  are  folks  at  home  praying 
for  you." 

Later,  when  H was  a  soldier,  he  wrote  to  him  urging 

him  to  be  a  Christian.  It  was  no  wonder,  when  the  soldier 
of  the  Union  became  a  soldier  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  that  in  the 
letter  bearing  the  good  news  to  parents  and  sister  was  added 
the  message,  "  Tell  Dr.  Meier-Smith  ;  he  will  be  glad."  I  did 
tell  him,  and  the  next  morning's  mail  carried  a  letter  to  that 
brother  from  that  faithful  friend.  Later,  when  my  brother 
was  called  from  the  battlefield  to  heaven,  the  same  beloved 
pastor  and  friend  brought  tenderest  comfort  to  our  hearts.  Oh, 
he  is  linked  with  all  my  life  !  I  have  never  had  a  great  joy  or 
a  great  sorrow  since  I  knew  him,  but  his  friendship  has  given 
token  of  his  sympathy.  My  engagement,  marriage,  the  coming 
of  little  ones  into  my  home,  have  all  brought  me  kindly  words 
from  a  great  heart  of  love  and  sympathy  for  every  event 
in  life. 

My  visits  to  you  are  crowded  with  pleasant  thoughts  of  his 
kind  deeds  to  make  me  happy.  .  .  . 

When  the  letter  came  breaking  to  me  the  sad  tidings,  as  I 
was  crying  alone,  my  baby  came  in,  and  said,  "  What  makes 
you  cry,  Mamma  ? "  I  told  her  a  dear  friend  had  gone  to 
heaven,  and  I  felt  very  badly  that  I  was  not  to  see  him  again 
here.  Slipping  her  little  hand  in  mine,  with  a  surprised  look 
and  a  ring  of  triumph  in  her  tone,  she  said,  "  Why,  Mamma, 
he  has  gone  up  to  our  heaven  that  Jesus  made !  Jesus  sent 
for  him,  and  it 's  nicer  than  the  other  home  he  had  here. 
Don't  cry  ;  we  are  all  going ;  we  '11  see  him  soon."  Is  my 
letter  long  1  My  heart  is  just  as  full  as  when  I  began.  I 
think  of  you,  lonely  in  your  home,  although  surrounded  by 
those  who  love  you,  and  then  of  the  great,  noble  life  ended 
here,  and  I  do  indeed  "  weep  with  those  who  weep."  If  I, 
only  a  humble  friend,  loved  and  prized  him  so  much,  when 
only  a  little  corner  of  his  life  touched  mine,  and  his  loss 
brings  to  me  such  deep  grief,  what  must  it  be  to  you  all, 


LITE  IN  BRIDGEPORT.  113 

who  filled  and  dwelt  in  that  heart  ?  Still  with  this  thought 
comes  another.  If  my  little  leaf  brings  so  much  comfort  of 
memories,  how  the  great  life-book,  all  your  own,  must  bring 
numberless  pages  of  comfort,  a  store  never  to  be  exhausted. 
How  you  must  look  forward  to  the  blessed  reunion  by  and 
by! 


ORDAINED  DEACON  AND  PEIEST  IN  THE 
EPISCOPAL  CHURCH. 

1866. 

-r>EOM  Dr.  Meier-Smith's  "Kecord  of  Services": 
JT  "On  the  fourth  day  of  September,  1865,  I  was 
admitted  a  candidate  for  Holy  Orders  in  the  Protes- 
tant Episcopal  Church,  in  the  Diocese  of  Massachusetts, 
under  the  Et.  Eev.  Manton  Eastburn,  D.D.  It  is 
unnecessary  to  state  that  this  change  has  been  long 
in  contemplation,  and  is  the  result  of  much  thought. 
With  not  the  smallest  disposition  to  cast  aspersion 
upon  either  my  past  ministry  or  my  associates  there- 
in, I  accept  Episcopal  ordination  in  full  persuasion  of 
its  Scripturalness,  its  order,  and  its  expediency ;  and 
the  Episcopal  Church  as  the  most  Scriptural  in  its 
structure  of  all  the  Churches  in  this  land.  I  enter 
it  from  conviction,  and  with  all  my  heart,  not  know- 
ing what  is  before  me,  but  confident  that  the  Lord 
has  work  for  me  to  do  in  it." 

For  advice  and  assistance  in  reference  to  entrance 
upon  his  new  work,  and  for  favorable  introductions, 
Dr.  Meier-Smith  was  under  great  obligations  to  friends 
among  the  clergy  of  the  Church,  some  of  whom  he  had 
known  for  years.  First  ever  in  thoughtful  kindness 
and  wise  suggestion  was  his  friend  Dr.  Dyer,  and  he 
was  also  much  indebted  to  his  revered  kinsman  by 
marriage,  the  late  Bishop  of  Delaware.  Eev.  Drs. 


ORDINATION  IN  THE  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH.      115 

Stone,  Wharton,  and  Bancroft  were  ready  to  assist  him 
in  any  way,  and  the  present  Bishop  of  Central  New 
York,  then  Kector  of  Emmanuel  Church,  Boston,  re- 
quested that  his  ordination  take  place  in  that  church. 
Eev.  Dr.  Tyng,  of  New  York,  invited  him  to  preach  the 
first  time  after  his  ordination  in  St.  George's  Church. 
The  Bishop  of  Massachusetts  was  most  friendly,  and 
the  trying  time  of  candidature  was  relieved  by  every 
expression  of  kind  hope  and  encouragement. 

Yet  no  one  dared  promise  work,  and  nothing  was  de- 
finitely in  prospect.  Friends  who  could  not  sympathize 
in  the  "  experiment,"  mourned  over  the  possible  loss  of 
position  and  failure  of  work.  One  exception  must  be 
made.  His  brother-in-law,  Rev.  Erskine  N.  White,  al- 
though himself  a  Presbyterian  clergyman,  gave  him  in- 
telligent and  hearty  sympathy,  and  encouraged  him  to 
follow  out  his  conscientious  convictions.  One  dark 
cloud  of  doubt  and  trouble  came  over  him  as  he  was 
about  to  send  a  letter  to  Bishop  Eastburn,  announcing 
his  desire  to  become  a  candidate  for  Holy  Orders.  For 
the  moment  the  fear  that  the  important  decision  might 
prove  a  mistake,  overpowered  him.  Had  not  this  dear 
brother,  believing  that  his  mind  was  morbidly  excited, 
taken  the  responsibility  of  urging  him  to  post  his  letter 
immediately,  a  trying  delay  would  have  followed.  That 
hour  was  the  last  of  doubt.  Thenceforward  he  never 
wavered,  but  rested  in  a  calm  confidence  that  the  Al- 
mighty Guide  had  been  surely  and  graciously  leading 
him. 

The  decision  had  been  reached  intelligently,  and  Dr. 
Meier-Smith  went  forward  with  all  his  heart,  finding 
entire  peace  and  satisfaction  in  all  his  later  ministry. 
Let  it  be  said  here  that  he  never  allowed  himself  or 
others  to  cast  any  reflections  upon  his  past  ministry, 


116      ORDINATION  IN  THE  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH. 

blessed  as  it  had  been  of  God.  Nor  did  he  criticise  the 
standing  of  fellow-laborers  from  whom  he  was  now  sepa- 
rated. It  was  enough  for  him  to  rest  assured  that  for 
himself  service  under  a  branch  of  the  ancient  and  his- 
toric Church  was  now  the  only  ministry  possible. 

In  October,  Dr.  Meier-Smith,  with  his  wife,  visited 
Bishop  Lee,  and  on  the  evening  of  the  Eighteenth  Sun- 
day after  Trinity,  they  were  confirmed  by  him  in  St. 
Andrew's  Church,  Wilmington.  Very  fragrant  is  the 
memory  of  that  visit,  and  the  loving  reception  and 
wise  counsel  of  that  truly  Apostolic  man,  the  first 
Bishop  of  Delaware.  Before  the  service,  the  Bishop 
called  attention  to  the  beautiful  portion  appointed  for 
the  Epistle  for  the  day,  as  expressing  exactly  what  he 
desired  to  say  to  the  brother  whom  he  was  thus  admit- 
ting into  the  Episcopal  Church.  "I  thank  my  God 
always  on  your  behalf  for  the  grace  of  God  which  is 
given  you  by  Jesus  Christ ;  that  in  everything  ye  are 
enriched  by  Him  in  all  utterance  and  in  all  knowledge, 
even  as  the  testimony  of  Jesus  Christ  was  confirmed  in 
you  :  so  that  ye  come  behind  in  no  gift ;  waiting  for  the 
coming  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  shall  also  confirm 
you  unto  the  end,  that  ye  may  be  blameless  in  the  day 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  —  1  Cor.  1-4. 

The  Bridgeport  home,  where  an  eventful  seven  years 
had  been  passed,  was  finally  left  in  November,  and  the 
family  spent  most  of  the  winter  following  at  the  home- 
stead in  New  Eochelle,  with  Dr.  Meier-Smith's  parents. 

Thoughtful  men,  and  Christians  generally,  were  much 
perplexed  at  this  time  by  the  condition  of  the  negroes 
of  the  Southern  States  in  their  new  and  untried  posi- 
tion as  Freedmen.  The  Episcopal  Church,  recognizing 
its  responsibility  toward  them,  organized  a  Freedman's 
Aid  Commission,  under  the  care  of  the  Board  of  Mis- 


ORDINATION  IN  THE  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH.      117 

sions.  Through  the  kindness  of  friends,  especially  the 
Eev.  Dr.  Wharton,  Dr.  Meier-Smith  was  appointed  to 
present  the  plan  and  work  of  the  Commission  to  the 
Episcopal  Churches  of  New  England,  during  the  period 
which  must  pass  before  his  ordination.  In  the  months 
of  January  and  February,  1866,  he  was  engaged  in  this 
work.  Eectors  of  prominent  parishes  invited  him  to 
deliver  addresses,  in  which  the  proposed  work  was  laid 
before  their  congregations.  From  these  visits  an  ex- 
tended acquaintance  was  formed  with  clergymen,  and 
some  knowledge  of  Church  methods  gained.  He  also 
passed  the  necessary  examinations  for  Orders. 

During  his  visit  to  Boston  in  January,  he  wrote  to 
his  wife :  "  For  a  feather  in  my  cap,  the  Bishop  called 
on  me  yesterday,  and  asked  me  to  take  his  place  and  read 
prayers  at  a  special  service  wherein  he  is  to  preach  on 
Sunday  evening  next,  at  Tremont  Temple,  for  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association.  I  regret  that  my  prob- 
able absence  from  the  city  will  prevent  my  serving  him. 
He  said  I  might  use  the  Prayer  Book,  or  extemporize, 
or  blend  prayers  together,  infusing  Prayer-Book  lan- 
guage and  Collects  as  I  pleased.  He  preferred  the 
latter,  as  most  certainly  do  I.  On  Monday,  I  heard 
Dr.  Nicholson  lecture  in  St.  Paul's  Church  on  a  chap- 
ter in  Eomans.  The  most  refractory  Old  School  Pres- 
byterian could  not  have  been  dissatisfied  with  aught 
said  or  done." 

To  Us  Wife. 

BOSTON,  January  17,  1866. 

Daylight  at  last  appears.  Imprimis,  I  have  survived 
all  my  examinations  for  Priest's  Orders,  the  work  being 
completed  this  morning.  The  examiners  were  the 
Bishop,  Drs.  Huntington  and  Wharton,  and  Rev.  Mr. 


118      ORDINATION  IN  THE  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH. 

Coolidge.  It  was  a  very  fair  examination,  not  by  any 
means  rigid,  yet  a  fulfilment  of  the  Canon,  done  with 
exemplary  fidelity.  The  Bishop  is  very  courteous  and 
keenly  humorous.  He  says  he  likes  me  "  because  I  am 
not  a  Yankee."  How  glad  I  am  that  I  shall  never 
have  to  be  examined  again  by  any  bishop  or  councils ! 

He  writes  in  his  "  Record  of  Services " :  "  March  6, 
1866.  I  was  ordained  by  Bishop  Eastburn  to  the  Dia- 
conate  in  Emmanuel  Church,  Boston,  Eev.  Dr.  F.  D.  Hun- 
tington,  Rector.  My  presenter  was  Rev.  Mr.  Snow. 
During  the  six  months'  interval,  T  have  made  addresses 
in  behalf  of  the  Freedman's  Aid  Commission.  I  enter 
with  devout  thankfulness  upon  my  work  again." 

On  the  evening  of  the  day  of  Dr.  Meier-Smith's  ordi- 
nation, he  preached  in  Emmanuel  Church  on  the  "  One- 
ness of  the  Church,"  from  the  last  two  verses  of  the 
eleventh  chapter  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews.  On 
the  following  Sunday,  he  preached  three  times  in  New 
York,  —  for  Dr.  Tyng  of  St.  George's ;  at  the  Church  of 
the  Ascension  for  Dr.  John  Cotton  Smith ;  and  at  Holy 
Trinity,  for  Rev.  S.  H.  Tyng,  Jr.  On  the  next  day  he 
received  the  following  letter :  — 

NEW  YORK,  March  13,  1866. 

MY  DEAR  BROTHER,  —  I  am  just  starting  for  Washington, 
and  can  only  write  a  few  lines,  but  I  am  unwilling  to  leave 
without  saying  to  you  how  gratified  I  am  at  the  impres- 
sion made  by  your  services  on  Sunday  last ;  I  hear  but  one 
opinion  expressed.  Most  devoutly  do  I  thank  God  for  it. 
Though  I  have  said  but  little,  I  have  nevertheless  felt  the 
deepest  anxiety  with  regard  to  your  entrance  upon  our  minis- 
try. My  prayer  has  been  that  God  would  guide  you  and  give 
you  acceptance  with  our  people.  Thus  far  everything  is  all 
that  could  be  desired.  At  St.  George's  and  the  Ascension 


ORDINATION  IN  THE  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH.      119 

you  will  ever  be  welcomed  with  the  warmest  interest.      How 
grateful  we  should  be  for  these  things  ! 

Tell  your  wife  how  much  I  love  her  for  being  present  with 
you  at  these  services.  No  doubt  her  heart  went  up  to  God 
for  you. 

In  one  sense  it  was  no  more  for  you  to  stand  up  and  preach 
the  Gospel  as  you  did  last  Sunday,  than  in  all  the  Sundays 
which  have  gone  before ;  but  in  another  and  very  peculiar 
sense  it  was  widely  different.  You  have  now  entered  your 
new  relations,  and  your  work  is  before  you.  To  human  view 
the  prospect  is  fair  enough,  but  it  is  the  Lord's  work,  and  His 
will  alone  should  be  the  guide.  He  will  place  you  where  you 
can  best  serve  Him.  Sometimes  He  disposes  for  a  time  of 
His  servants  very  differently  from  what  a  human  wisdom 
would  dictate.  But  I  cannot  say  more ;  you  will  have  my 
warmest  sympathy  and  most  earnest  prayers,  and  it  will  give 
me  the  greatest  pleasure  to  contribute  in  any  way  I  can 
to  your  usefulness  and  happiness. 

Give  my  best  love  to  Mrs.  Meier-Smith  and  the  children. 
God  bless  you  all. 

Your  old  affectionate  friend  and  brother, 

H.DYER. 

He  officiated  constantly  during  the  next  six  or  seven 
weeks,  principally  in  New  York,  Boston,  and  Troy. 
Great  kindness  and  many  attentions  were  extended 
to  him  by  both  clergymen  and  laymen,  which  were 
most  gratefully  appreciated  at  this  crisis. 

Six  weeks  later  he  received  Priest's  Orders ;  and  thus 
wrote  in  his  "Record":  "On  April  20th,  I  was  ordained 
Priest  by  Bishop  Eastburn,  acting  for  Bishop  Potter,  in 
Holy  Trinity  Church,  New  York.  Rev.  Dr.  Dyer  pre- 
sented me,  and  Drs.  Dyer,  Tyng,  and  Gallaudet,  and 
Rev.  Messrs.  S.  H.  Tyng,  Jr.,  H.  M.  Beare,  and  others, 
united  in  the  laying  on  of  hands.  Bishop  Eastburn  gave 


120      ORDINATION  IN  THE  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH. 

an  address  in  place  of  the  sermon.  It  was  very  kind, 
courteous,  and  catholic,  making  recognition  of  my  past 
ministry,  and  speaking  most  hopefully  of  the  future. 
In  my  last  record  I  wrote,  '  I  know  not  what  is  before 
me.'  During  the  few  weeks  of  my  Diaconate,  I  have 
received  calls  from  St.  Matthew's  Church,  Jersey  City, 
St.  Michael's  Church,  Trenton,  St.  John's  Church,  Troy, 
and  overtures,  pressed  by  Bishops  Randall  and  East- 
burn,  to  take  charge  of  the  Church  of  the  Messiah, 
Boston.  These,  however,  I  have  declined  in  favor  of  a 
call  to  the  rectorship  of  Trinity  Church,  Newark,  New 
Jersey,  and  I  shall  begin  my  labors  in  this  parish  on 
Sunday,  May  6th,  the  fifth  after  Easter,  1866." 

From  a  "  Memorandum  of  Events  of  Especial  Interest 
during  the  year  ending  April,  1866."  "The  man  to 
whom  of  all  others  we  feel  the  most  deeply  indebted  is 
our  friend  of  eighteen  years,  the  Eev.  H.  Dyer,  D.D. 
His  counsel  freely  sought  from  the  first  was  so  free 
from  partisanship,  so  catholic  and  devout,  that  it  could 
hardly  be  deemed  encouragement.  But  when  the  long- 
weighed  question  was  settled,  he  gave  the  heartiest  of 
welcomes,  and  has  since  been  unwearying  in  efforts  to 
secure  a  favorable  introduction  into  the  Church." 

Dr.  Dyer,  who  knew  all  the  steps  which  led  to 
his  friend's  transition  into  the  Episcopal  Church,  has 
kindly  prepared  the  notes  which  follow,  giving  his  own 
impressions  at  the  time,  which  remained  unchanged  ; 
together  with  a  loving  tribute  to  the  long  and  close 
friendship  between  himself  and  Dr.  Meier-Smith. 

NEW  YORK,  February  9,  1887. 

My  acquaintance  vith  Dr.  Meier-Smith  commenced  during 
his  early  ministry  in  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  continued 
to  his  death.  Various  circumstances  brought  us  by  degrees 


ORDINATION  IN  THE  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH.      121 

into  very  close  relations  of  friendship  and  Christian  fellow- 
ship. After  his  removal  to  Brookline,  and  settlement  in 
charge  of  the  Congregational  Church  in  that  beautiful  pre- 
cinct of  Boston,  and  during  his  residence  of  several  years 
there,  our  associations  became  very  intimate.  Having  to 
spend  much  time  in  Boston  on  several  occasions,  I  was  often 
an  inmate  of  his  lovely  and  attractive  family.  The  same  was 
true  while  for  some  seven  or  eight  years  he  had  charge  of  a 
parish  in  Bridgeport.  Frequently,  when  visiting  that  city  to 
take  the  Sunday  service  in  one  of  the  Episcopal  Churches,  I 
was  the  guest  of  his  family.  These  intimate  associations  dur- 
ing a  period  of  nineteen  years  or  more,  gave  me  an  exceptional 
opportunity  of  studying  and  knowing  the  man,  of  under- 
standing the  elements,  traits,  and  habits  which  made  up  his 
character,  as  well  as  the  motives  and  spirit  which  shaped  his 
life  and  conduct  in  all  the  relations  of  life  ;  and  I  can  bear  the 
strongest  testimony  to  his  generous,  sympathetic,  and  noble 
nature. 

He  was  greatly  respected  by  the  -whole  community  where 
he  lived,  and  deeply  loved  by  all  who  knew  him,  and  most 
deeply  by  those  who  were  nearest  to  him  and  knew  him  best. 
He  was  a  charming  companion  for  old  and  young,  full  of  play- 
ful pleasantries,  of  unaffected  and  genuine  kindness,  yet 
always  preserving  the  dignity  of  a  true  Christian  gentleman. 
Nowhere  did  the  excellencies  of  Dr.  Meier-Smith's  nature 
shine  with  brighter  lustre  than  in  the  circle  of  his  own 
family  and  among  his  intimate  friends.  To  know  him  was 
to  love  him.  It  was  these  traits  which  made  him  so  popular, 
particularly  among  the  young,  and  so  endeared  him  to  his 
people.  He  was  greatly  respected  and  esteemed  in  the  par- 
ishes where  he  was  settled.  I  do  not  wonder  it  was  so, 
indeed,  I  should  wonder  if  this  had  not  been  the  case. 

I  have  often  been  asked  why  with  such  surroundings  and 
in  a  career  of  marked  success  and  promise,  he  made  the  great 
change  in  his  Church  relations  ?  As  we  had  not  a  great  deal 
of  conversation  on  this  subject,  I  can  only  say  that  Dr. 


122      ORDINATION  IN  THE  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH. 

Uleier-Smith  was  a  very  thoughtful  man,  not  at  all  given 
to  change,  never  taking  up  new  things  because  they  were 
new,  or  dropping  old  things  because  they  were  old.  On  the 
contrary,  he  was  very  deliberate  in  action,  never  jumping  to 
his  conclusions,  but  reaching  them  after  careful  and  mature 
examination.  He  always  had  a  reason  for  what  he  did.  The 
change,  therefore,  was  not  the  result  of  any  sudden  impulse 
or  emotion,  nor  did  it  proceed  from  mere  taste  or  preference, 
nor  from  disappointment  in  the  results  and  promises  of  his 
former  ministry,  nor  yet  again  from  unworthy  motives  of 
ambition.  None  of  these  things  moved  him.  In  his  former 
relations  he  was  very  prosperous.  He  had  already  reached  a 
high  position  as  a  preacher  and  pastor,  and  as  a  man  of  culture 
and  progress.  Everything  was  bright  and  promising.  Few 
men  could  have  had  a  more  attractive  future.  To  make  the 
change  in  the  face  of  such  an  array  of  circumstances,  required 
the  deepest  convictions  and  a  very  high  degree  of  moral 
courage.  I  would  say,  therefore,  that  nothing  but  convic- 
tions attended  by  patient  thought,  careful  study  and  examin- 
ation, earnest  prayers  for  divine  guidance,  and  a  solemn  sense 
of  responsibility,  led  him  to  take  this  important  step.  To 
doubt  the  honesty  and  purity  of  his  motives  would,  to  my 
mind,  be  simply  unmanly  and  unchristian. 

After  he  entered  the  ministry  of  our  Church  and  during 
his  rectorship  of  Trinity  Church,  Newark,  and  St.  John's 
Church,  Hartford,  I  saw  much  of  him,  and  know  how  much 
he  was  respected  and  beloved  in  those  parishes  and  communi- 
ties. After  he  became  a  Professor  in  the  Divinity  School, 
Philadelphia,  our  intimacy  continued,  but  I  saw  less  of  him 
than  formerly,  not  because  of  any  diminution  of  friendship, 
but  simply  from  a  change  of  circumstances.  My  health  be- 
came very  infirm,  confining  me  mostly  to  my  house,  so  that 
we  could  not  often  meet ;  but  my  affection  for  him,  and  inter- 
est in  him  and  his  work  continued  to  the  last.  When  his 
sudden  and  unexpected  death  was  announced,  it  was  a  great 
shock  to  me,  and  I  felt  and  said  that  in  the  removal  of  Dr. 


ORDINATION  IN  THE  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH.     123 

Meier-Smith,  I  had  lost  a  deeply  loved  brother,  and  one  of 
the  truest  and  best  friends  I  ever  had.  I  can  never  cease  to 
remember  with  love  and  gratitude  the  genial,  cordial,  and 
whole-souled  manner  in  which  I  was  always  received  and 
trusted  by  him  and  his  family. 

Our  pleasant  and  I  trust  profitable  intercourse  will  be  a 
cherished  treasure  so  long  as  I  remain  in  this  world,  and  I 
trust  and  hope  that  death  has  only  interrupted  it  for  a  season. 

I  should  like  to  say  a  few  words  as  to  the  truly  catholic  and 
Christ-like  spirit  which  Dr.  Meier-Smith  displayed  through- 
out his  whole  ministry,  and  the  fidelity  with  which  he  held 
and  preached  the  simple  Gospel  of  Christ.  While  he  was  a 
sincere  Churchman,  he  never  felt  or  spoke  unkindly  of  Chris- 
tians of  other  names.  In  leaving  the  Church  in  which  he 
was  educated  and  where  he  exercised  his  early  ministry,  he 
bore  with  him  the  regrets  and  sincere  respect  and  love  of  all 
with  whom  he  had  been  associated;  and  these  feelings  he 
fully  reciprocated.  We  mourn  when  such  a  man  is  taken 
away,  and  yet  we  rejoice  and  take  courage  from  the  good 
example  which  he  has  left  us.  May  we  follow  him  as  he 
followed  Christ. 


XL 


THE  FIKST  EECTORSHIP;    TRINITY  CHURCH, 
NEWARK. 

1866-1868. 

HTRINITY  Parish,  one  of  the  largest  and  most  im- 
-1-  portant  in  New  Jersey,  was  the  Mother  Church 
of  the  city  of  Newark,  and  dear  to  many  of  the  oldest 
and  most  influential  families  of  the  State.  It  was  not 
without  anxiety  that  Dr.  Meier-Smith  accepted  its  rec- 
torship, which  but  for  the  encouragement  of  friends  he 
would  hardly  have  ventured  to  do.  For  one  as  yet 
unaccustomed  to  the  methods  of  the  Church,  it  was  a 
grave  responsibility  to  accept  immediately  so  prominent 
a  position.  But  the  invitation  to  assume  the  charge  of 
the  parish  was  hearty  and  unanimous,  and  the  Vestry 
and  Wardens,  fully  understanding  the  case,  promised 
all  due  forbearance  and  cordial  support  in  his  untried 
work.  He  accepted  their  overtures  gratefully,  not  even 
caring  to  visit  the  parish  first,  saying  to  the  committee 
who  presented  the  call,  "  Gentlemen,  you  are  willing  to 
take  me  on  faith,  and  I  take  you  in  the  same  spirit." 
The  family  moved  into  the  rectory,  opposite  the  vener- 
able church  which  stands  among  the  fine  old  trees  of 
the  Military  Park,  and  the  new  life  of  home  and  Church 
began  under  bright  auspices. 

The  first  Sunday  is  distinctly  recalled.  The  congre- 
gations were  large,  as  was  the  attendance  upon  the  Holy 
Communion.  It  was  the  first  time  that  Dr.  Meier-Smith 


THE  FIRST  RECTORSHIP.  125 

had  taken  charge  of  the  entire  service  and  of  the  celebra- 
tion of  the  Holy  Communion,  and  he  felt  the  solemnity 
of  the  new  experience.  The  people  were  hearing  their 
chosen  Eector  for  the  first  time,  and  many  were  watch- 
ing with  critical  eyes,  to  detect  the  novice  through  the 
long  and  complex  service.  At  the  close,  a  friend  whose 
watchfulness  was  owing  to  his  desire  that  the  new  Rector 
should  make  the  best  of  impressions,  remarked,  "  Every- 
thing was  admirably  done ;  there  was  but  one  expres- 
sion in  the  whole  service  by  which  one  could  detect  that 
Dr.  Meier-Smith  was  not  to  the  manner  born.  He  used 
the  word  house  instead  of  church  in  giving  a  notice  of  ser- 
vices, —  something  no  Episcopalian  ever  does."  "  Yes," 
responded  the  Eector,  "I  recognized  my  blunder  the 
moment  the  word  slipped  out,  and  said  to  myself, '  my 
friend  Mr.  P will  not  allow  me  to  forget  that.' " 

The  first  year  of  the  rectorship  in  Newark  was  per- 
haps the  happiest  in  all  respects  of  Dr.  Meier-Smith's 
life.  The  enthusiasm  natural  to  so  radical  a  change, 
made  after  years  of  perplexing  thought,  pervaded  all 
his  work.  He  was  just  forty  years  of  age,  and  in  full 
physical  and  intellectual  vigor.  Newark  is  so  near  the 
metropolis  that  it  was  easy  for  him  to  renew  old  asso- 
ciations with  relatives  and  friends,  and  to  fall  into  the 
large  professional  circle  of  the  great  city.  While  the 
prospective  life  looked  very  bright,  the  thought  would 
sometimes  come  as  a  check,  "surely  such  unalloyed 
happiness  cannot  last." 

Newark  proved  to  be  an  attractive  place  of  resi- 
dence from  a  social  point  of  view.  An  intelligent  and 
refined  circle  of  families  enjoyed  the  informal  and  inti- 
mate intercourse  which  results  from  the  traditions  of 
two  or  three  generations  of  friendship.  The  new 
Rector  of  Trinity  was  soon  made  at  home,  not  only  in 


126  THE  FIRST  RECTORSHIP. 

the  households  connected  with  his  own  parish,  but  in 
many  others. 

He  had  valued  friends  of  years  standing  among  the 
Presbyterian  clergymen,  and  they,  with  the  Episcopal 
clergy  of  the  city,  offered  him  a  cordial  welcome,  and 
with  all  these  fellow-laborers  he  enjoyed  the  pleasant- 
est  fraternal  intercourse  during  his  residence  in  Newark. 
Bishop  Odenheimer,  a  man  of  genial  manner  and  great 
kindness  of  heart,  was  always  an  affectionate  friend, 
and  Dr.  Meier-Smith  became  sincerely  attached  to 

him. 

Among  the  clergy  of  the  Diocese,  with  whom  he  be- 
came especially  intimate,  were  Eev.  Dr.  Clark,  of  Eliza- 
beth, Eev.  Dr.  Abercrombie,  of  Jersey  City,  and  Eev. 
Dr.  Gray,  then  of  Bergen  Point,  and  afterward  for 
many  years  Dean  of  the  Divinity  School  in  Cambridge, 
Massachusetts.  All  of  these  much  loved  friends  have 
entered  into  rest. 

Dr.  Meier-Smith's  hospitality  and  enjoyment  in  the 
entertainment  of  guests  at  his  own  fireside  and  table 
found  ample  scope  for  exercise  during  his  residence  in 
Newark,  as  the  rectory  of  Trinity  Church  was  a  natural 
rallying  point,  not  only  for  the  clergy  of  the  Diocese  of 
New  Jersey,  but  for  bishops  and  clergymen  from  other 
parts  of  the  country. 

Almost  a  stranger  in  the  Church,  he  thought  himself 
much  favored  in  occupying  a  position  which  gave  him 
many  opportunities  for  extending  acquaintance,  and 
forming  friendships  which  remained  unbroken  through- 
out his  life. 

The  increasing  congregations  of  the  first  year,  and 
the  hearty  assistance  given  by  the  parish  to  the  Eector's 
efforts  to  enlarge  the  influence  of  Trinity  Church,  were 
all  that  he  could  have  desired. 


THE  FIRST  RECTORSHIP.  127 

Dr.  Meier-Smith  entered  the  Episcopal  Church  in  a 
season  of  much  internal  agitation.  The  lines  were 
closely  drawn  between  High  and  Low  Churchmen. 
The  traditions  of  old  Trinity  were  with  the  latter 
party,  though  "  radicals "  were  not  to  be  found.  The 
Rector  identified  himself  with  Low  Churchmen,  but 
not  with  extremists,  with  whom  he  had  no  sympathy. 
He  had  not  left  Congregationalism  to  assist  in  bring- 
ing unchurchly  ideas  of  either  order  or  doctrine  into 
the  old  historic  Church. 

One  of  the  vestrymen  who  had  been  influential  in 
calling  him  watched  him  anxiously,  fearing  that  from 
inexperience  he  might  be  unsuccessful  in  a  time  which 
tried  the  tact  and  wisdom  of  mature  sons  of  the  Church. 
At  the  close  of  the  first  month's  service  he  wrote  to  his 
Rector  as  follows :  — 

"...  Allow  me  to  thank  you  for  all  your  sermons  so  far, 
especially  for  the  very  striking  discourses  of  to-day.  It  was 
evident  to  me  the  first  Sunday,  that  we  were  most  fortunate 
in  selecting  you  as  our  Rector,  and  that  all  you  needed  for 
complete  appreciation  was  to  '  get  the  range '  of  the  congrega- 
tion. Such  sermons  as  those  of  to-day,  so  practical,  so  close, 
so  pungent,  show  that  you  have  not  been  long  in  seeing  what 
class  of  preaching  suited  us  best.  I  do  not  know  that  I  ever 
heard  sermons  I  admired  more.  Do  not  be  afraid  of  tiring 
us,  Give  us  all  of  your  sermons." 

Church  Unity  was  not  then  as  prominently  before 
the  minds  of  Christians  as  it  is  to-day,  and  Episcopalians 
held  little  fraternal  intercourse  with  other  churches. 
The  various  denominations  of  Newark,  during  the 
autumn  of  1866,  arranged  a  course  of  sermons  upon  this 
subject,  and  Dr.  Meier-Smith  was  invited  to  preach  one 
of  the  series  as  a  representative  of  the  Episcopal  Church. 


128  THE  FIRST  RECTORSHIP. 

He  was  not  a  little  surprised  to  find  some  members  of 
his  Vestry  objecting  strongly  to  his  appearance  in  the 
Methodist  Church,  where  the  sermons  were  to  be  de- 
livered. He,  however,  accepted  the  invitation,  and 
preached  to  a  crowded  congregation,  among  whom  were 
many  of  his  parishioners ;  and  the  expressions  of  sur- 
prise and  gratification  with  the  wisdom  and  tact  of  the 
discourse,  and  with  its  broad  and  catholic  spirit,  were 
significant,  as  showing  that  the  doctrine  taught  was  sel- 
dom heard  in  the  Church.  A  friend  who  had  tried  to 
dissuade  him  from  preaching  the  sermon,  said  afterward, 
"I  am  not  convinced  that  Dr.  Meier-Smith  ought  to 
have  preached  at  all  on  that  subject,  but  if  it  was  to 
have  been  done,  mortal  man  could  not  have  done  it 
better."  A  few  days  afterward  the  same  gentleman 
wrote  to  him  :  — 

"  Do  you  ever  lend  your  manuscript  1  And  if  you  do,  -will 
you  lend  me  your  '  Unity '  sermon  of  last  Sunday  evening  1 
I  want  to  read  it  over.  I  congratulate  you  most  sincerely  on 
that  effort ;  it  could  not  have  been  done  better  by  any  one,  if 
so  welL  I  wish  all  your  congregation  had  heard  it,  and 
really  think  it  should  be  published  for  the  good  of  everybody. 
No  one  could  object  to  its  spirit,  or  do  aught  but  admire  the 
skill,  judgment,  and  eloquence  with  which  you  presented 
boldly  moderate  Episcopal  views.  I  was  exceedingly  de- 
lighted, and  so  was  every  Episcopalian  there  ;  while  '  those  of 
the  contrary  part '  had  no  cause  of  complaint,  and  indeed  made 


The  text  of  this  sermon  was  the  command  of  our 
Lord,  "  Go  ye  into  all  the  world,  and  preach  the  Gospel 
to  every  creature,"  and  its  main  thought  was  the  union 
of  various  branches  of  the  Church  for  aggressive  work. 
This,  he  said,  might  be  accomplished  before  the  time 


THE   FIRST   RECTORSHIP.  129 

was  ripe  for  organic  unity.  A  note  was  here  struck 
which  was  in  accord  with  the  aspirations  of  many 
Christian  hearts,  and  from  time  to  time  its  vibrations 
have  been  heard.  To-day  there  are  indications  that 
it  may  prove  to  be  the  key-note  of  a  grand  marching 
chorus  for  the  "One  Army  of  the  One  Lord." 

A  mission  in  the  south  part  of  the  city,  previously 
commenced,  but  for  some  time  suspended,  was  reopened 
in  the  autumn,  and  services  were  held  in  a  chapel  which 
was  placed  under  the  care  of  an  assistant  minister  of 
Trinity  Church. 

Its  growing  work  was  of  much  importance  in  the 
view  of  the  Rector,  who  was  very  active  in  arousing 
interest  in  it,  and  in  raising  the  means  for  its  support. 
The  first  Confirmation  under  his  rectorship  took  place 
on  the  Fourth  Sunday  in  Advent,  when  he  presented 
thirty-five  candidates  to  the  Bishop.  The  service  was 
naturally  one  of  profound  interest  to  him,  and  a  fitting 
close  to  a  year  of  such  varied  and  momentous  expe- 
riences. With  devout  thanksgiving  he  acknowledged 
the  gracious  guidance  which  had  led  him  into  his  pres- 
ent ecclesiastical  relations. 

There  are  very  few  notes  to  be  found  in  Dr.  Meier- 
Smith's  handwriting  respecting  his  Newark  rectorship. 
The  compiler  of  these  reminiscences  has  to  rely  largely 
on  her  own  memory  and  that  of  her  children.  She  is 
most  thankful  that  her  husband  counted  her  worthy  to 
be  the  sharer  of  his  inmost  thoughts  and  purposes  and 
hopes.  Slow  to  speak  freely  of  these  to  even  intimate 
friends,  it  seemed  always  a  pleasure  and  relief  to  him  to 
share  every  interest  with  the  one  on  whose  entire  sym- 
pathy he  knew  he  could  always  rely.  Nothing,  from 
the  sermon  he  was  composing  to  the  weightiest  matter 
of  general  church  interest,  was  withheld  from  her ;  and 
9 


130  THE  FIRST  RECTORSHIP. 

she  will  be  pardoned  for  believing  that  she  is  a  faithful 
witness,  as  she  writes  of  his  views  and  methods  of  work. 
Among  other  expressions  of  satisfaction  with  the  new 
relations  was  one  frequently  heard  from  his  lips.  "  I 
am  astonished  that  I  have  so  little  impression  of  strange- 
ness. In  fact,  I  feel  as  if  I  had  come  home  !  "  His  posi- 
tion as  Hector  of  one  of  the  largest  parishes  in  the  Dio- 
cese impelled  him  to  a  prominence  he  never  sought,  and 
which  he  would  gladly  have  avoided  while  yet  a  novice 
in  the  Church.  In  his  own  estimation  his  parish  offered 
a  sufficient  field  for  all  his  powers,  and  he  would  have 
been  well  content,  had  duty  permitted  him,  to  give  little 
attention  to  outside  matters.  In  his  study,  work  was 
somewhat  changed.  Many  old  sermons  were  laid  aside 
as  unsuitable ;  others  were  re-written,  and  with  especial 
enjoyment  preparation  was  made  to  follow  the  course 
of  the  Christian  Year.  No  pulpit  work  could  be  more 
congenial  to  him  than  that  which  was  called  forth 
by  the  successive  seasons  of  the  Church.  Preaching 
the  Gospel  as  manifested  in  the  Life  that  is  the  Light 
of  the  World,  was  a  mission  which  kindled  all  his 
enthusiasm. 

Early  in  the  year  1867,  a  mission  in  East  Newark 
was  revived,  and  in  all  directions  parish  work  was 
enlarged.  Earnest  personal  labor  for  individuals,  and 
sermons  with  reference  to  Confirmation  marked  the 
Lenten  season.  The  Rector's  high  ideal  of  the  conse- 
crated life  was  fervently  presented  in  familiar  addresses, 
and  the  effect  was  seen  in  the  increasing  congregations 
at  the  daily  services,  and  in  the  number  presenting 
themselves  for  Confirmation.  Dr.  Meier-Smith's  revered 
friends,  Bishops  Mcllvaine  and  Lee  during  this  season 
were  guests  at  the  rectory,  and  preached  to  his  people. 
There  were  sixty  communicants  added  to  the  church  in 


THE  FIRST  RECTORSHIP.  131 

the  first  year  of  Dr.  Meier-Smith's  rectorship,  a  second 
Confirmation  taking  place  at  Easter.  The  Diocesan  Con- 
vention was  the  scene  of  some  excitement,  parties  in 
the  Diocese  taking  opposite  sides  on  the  questions  which 
were  agitating  the  Church.  A  memorial  was  presented 
by  Hon.  Cortlandt  Parker,  praying  the  next  General 
Convention  to  take  steps  toward  legislation  to  arrest 
the  Eitualistic  movement.  This  received  many  signa- 
tures, but  it  also  met  with  very  strong  opposition.  Dr. 
Meier-Smith  was  at  this  time  a  member  of  a  club  com- 
posed of  prominent  Low  Churchmen,  which  met  at  the 
office  of  the  Evangelical  Knowledge  Society,  of  which 
Dr.  Dyer  was  secretary.  Here  were  brought  forward  by 
men  of  radical  Evangelical  views,  their  objections  to  the 
statements  of  the  standards  of  the  Church  regarding 
Orders  and  Sacraments,  and  to  the  "  Komanizing  germs  " 
in  the  Prayer  Book,  as  they  styled  various  parts  of  the 
Ritual  and  Service.  Dr.  Meier-Smith  was  often  appealed 
to  as  a  new-comer,  and  sometimes  with  expressions  of 
wonder  that  he  could  have  chosen  to  enter  a  Church 
within  whose  fold  some  of  her  own  children  found  so 
much  that  was  dangerous.  Sympathy  was  expressed  for 
the  disappointment  he  must  already  feel,  and  on  one  oc- 
casion he  responded  to  such  remarks  with  the  question, 
"  Brethren,  where  would  you  go  if  you  left  the  Church  ? " 
The  answer  was  given  by  one, "  Perhaps  into  the  good  old 
Presbyterian  fold,  where  we  would  be  at  least  safe  from 
Romanizing  views  of  Orders  and  Sacraments."  ''Allow 
me  to  read  you  something,"  he  replied,  and  stepping  to 
the  book-case  he  took  down  a  volume,  and  read  state- 
ments of  doctrine  respecting  baptism,  the  Lord's  Sup- 
per, and  the  ministry.  "  How  does  that  strike  you  ? " 
he  asked.  "  Worse  than  our  own  standards,"  said  one. 
"Rank  Popery,"  said  another.  "Where  did  you  get 


132  THE  FIRST  RECTORSHIP. 

that  ?  "  "  From  the  venerable  Westminster  Confession 
of  Faith  on  which  I  was  brought  up,"  he  replied.  "  You 
can  hardly  expect  me  to  find  fault  with  the  doctrines  of 
the  Church  of  my  adoption  and  my  mature  choice,  when 
assuredly  I  could  never  have  entered  it,  had  it  not  been 
essentially  the  same  on  these  vital  points  with  the 
Church  of  my  nurture."  Expressing  great  astonish- 
ment, these  good  brethren  then  declared  that  there  was 
nothing  left  for  them  to  do  but  to  form  a  new  sect, 
which  result  some  of  them  not  very  long  afterward 
were  prominent  in  accomplishing. 

The  Rev.  Charles  E.  Mcllvaine,  a  son  of  the  Bishop, 
and  a  son-in-law  of  Bishop  Lee,  was  called,  during  the 
summer  of  this  year,  to  the  charge  of  one  of  the  chapels. 
A  warm  attachment  grew  up  between  the  Rector  and 
Mr.  Mcllvaine.  Their  relations  were  always  harmo- 
nious, and  Mr.  Mcllvaine's  work  was  lovingly  appre- 
ciated. Of  a  singularly  frank  and  affectionate  nature, 
he  was  greatly  beloved  by  all  his  friends  and  parishion- 
ers, and  most  sincerely  mourned,  when  yet  in  his  young 
manhood  he  was  called  to  a  higher  service  and  the  rest 
of  Paradise. 

In  the  autumn  of  1867,  the  Evangelical  Societies  held 
meetings  in  Philadelphia.  Dr.  Meier-Smith  was  one 
of  the  speakers,  and  while  in  sympathy  with  the  object 
of  the  meetings,  he  deplored  the  radical  spirit  and  un- 
charitable criticism  displayed  by  many  present  Ap- 
proaches toward  secession  were  made  by  some  fiery 
speakers,  and  near  the  close  of  one  of  the  meetings 
the  venerable  Bishops  of  Ohio  and  Delaware  entered 
the  church,  and  listened  to  some  of  the  "Disunion" 
appeals.  One  after  the  other,  these  veteran  leaders 
in  the  cause  of  Evangelical  truth  arose,  and  in  language 
of  dignified  eloquence,  sternly  rebuked  the  disturbers 


THE  FIRST  RECTORSHIP.  133 

of  the  peace  of  the  Church,  amid  the  profoundest  silence 
on  the  part  of  the  great  congregation.  The  scene  was 
one  never  to  be  forgotten.  The  stand  taken  by  these 
honored  fathers  gave  great  encouragement  to  Dr.  Meier- 
Smith  to  maintain  firmly  his  position,  which  he  believed 
a  thoroughly  consistent  one,  of  non-partisanship  in  con- 
nection with  pronounced  Evangelical  convictions. 

This  year  closed  with  every  prospect  of  increasing 
influence  and  usefulness,  both  in  Trinity  parish  and  in 
the  relations  of  its  Rector  to  the  Church  at  large.  A 
shadow  was  however  falling  over  the  home,  as  an  un- 
expected cause  of  anxiety  appeared,  in  the  failing  health 
of  his  son.  This  seemed  to  be  owing  to  overwork  in 
preparation  for  college,  and  to  fatigue  and  exposure 
connected  with  a  long  daily  journey  to  his  school  in 
New  York.  Parents  and  physicians  expected  a  rapid 
improvement  from  a  break  in  study,  and  this  for  a  time 
was  the  case. 

Early  in  1863,  the  cause  of  solicitude  increased,  and 
aroused  the  gravest  fears  for  the  future.  And  here, 
as  this  record  of  memories  has  been  prepared  for  those 
who  have  known  much  of  the  years  of  anxiety  which 
followed,  it  seems  fitting  to  speak  briefly  of  the  trial 
which  overshadowed  so  many  years  of  Dr.  Meier-Smith's 
life.  The  fond  hopes  for  the  future  of  this  only  son. 
which  the  bright  promise  of  his  early  years  had  awak- 
ened, were  from  this  time  gradually  resigned,  as  year 
after  year  the  sad  truth  was  realized  that  an  invalid 
life  was  to  be  his  portion.  The  responsive  tempera- 
ment of  the  tender  father  suffered  keenly;  and  with 
alternations  of  hope  and  fear,  —  often  with  a  perfect 
recovery  apparently  at  hand,  the  hope  aroused  only 
to  be  followed  by  disappointment,  —  his  life  became 
heavily  weighted  with  care  and  sorrow. 


134  THE  FIRST  RECTORSHIP. 

No  memorial  of  him  could  be  complete  which  failed 
to  recognize  the  effect  upon  his  life  and  work  of  the 
experience  of  these  years  of  anxiety.  The  strain  upon 
his  sympathies,  and  the  unremitting  effort  to  find  relief 
for  the  suffering  invalid,  added  much  to  the  sense  of 
burden  and  responsibility  which  must  ever  press  upon 
a  faithful  clergyman.  Thank  God,  he  was  permitted 
to  see  in  his  later  years  such  progress  toward  restora- 
tion as  to  afford  him  much  relief  from  care,  and  the 
comfort  of  hope.  To  the  brave  endurance  and  Chris- 
tian submission  with  which  an  almost  life-long  trial 
has  been  borne  by  the  chief  sufferer,  a  word  of  loving 
tribute  may  be  permitted.  The  lesson  of  such  a  life 
has  been  felt  by  all  who  have  come  under  its  influence, 
and  his  parents  have  ever  borne  grateful  witness  to  the 
countless  ways  in  which  he  has  been  a  help  and  bless- 
ing during  the  long  years  of  his  disability. 


XII. 

THE  FIKST  KECTOKSHIP;   TKINITY  CHUKCH, 
NEWAKK. 

1868-1871. 

THE  conflict  between  the  radical  men  of  opposite 
parties  in  the  Church  increased  in  bitterness  in 
the  early  part  of  the  year  1868,  and  it  was  difficult  to 
maintain  a  position  of  moderate  and  conservative 
Churchmanship.  The  Eector  of  Trinity  was  expected 
by  some  in  his  own  parish,  and  by  others  without,  to 
espouse  the  cause  of  the  discontented  Evangelical 
Party.  The  "Protestant  Churchman,"  of  New  York, 
a  weekly  journal,  was  placed  in  the  hands  of  an  edi- 
torial committee  of  five,  of  whom  Dr.  Meier-Smith  was 
one.  He  understood,  when  he  accepted  a  place  in  the 
management,  that  the  paper  was  to  fairly  represent 
the  views  of  the  Evangelical  men  of  the  conservative 
wing,  as  well  as  of  those  who  were  earnestly  advocat- 
ing changes.  But  this  proved  to  be  a  mistake,  and  he 
retained  his  position  but  a  few  months,  unwilling  to  be 
refused  the  privilege  of  appearing  under  his  own  signa- 
ture, in  defence  of  the  policy  of  consideration  and  com- 
prehensiveness in  which  he  believed,  and  which  he 
thought  best  expressed  the  spirit  of  the  Church. 

During  Lent  of  this  year,  Bishops  Mcllvaine,  Lee, 
and  Eandall,  visited  the  rectory  and  preached  in  Trin- 
ity Church.  Their  influence,  and  Bishop  Eandall's 
eloquent  presentation  of  the  needs  of  his  great  mis- 


136  THE  FIRST  RECTORSHIP. 

sionary  jurisdiction,  were  a  help  to  the  Eector  in  sus- 
taining firmly  the  work  of  the  Church  Boards.  While 
he  gave  his  aid  and  influence  to  the  voluntary  societies, 
he  thought  that  loyal  Churchmen  should  support  the 
work  under  the  charge  of  the  whole  Church,  and  called 
for  the  offerings  of  his  parish  for  the  Board  of  Missions, 
as  well  as  for  the  other  organizations. 

The  "  Eecord  of  Services  "  for  this  year  indicates  the 
subjects  which  engrossed  the  minds  of  thoughtful  Epis- 
copalians at  the  time :  "  What  is  Baptismal  Regenera- 
tion?"  "The  Scripturalness  of  the  Liturgy,"  "The 
Church  System  showing  Christ,"  "  The  Ritualistic 
Movement"  Two  sermons  and  several  addresses  were 
given  to  awaken  interest  in  Foreign  Missions,  a  sub- 
ject always  near  his  heart,  and  one  the  importance 
of  which  he  thought  the  Church  had  failed  to  keep 
prominently  before  her  members. 

The  class  of  fifty  confirmed  in  Holy  Week  was  one 
of  much  promise  to  the  Rector.  A  large  proportion 
were  young  people  between  fifteen  and  thirty  years 
of  age,  whose  regular  attendance  at  the  Confirmation 
classes,  and  earnest  purpose  of  Christian  life,  testified 
to  the  faithful  instruction  of  their  pastor. 

His  work  seemed  to  himself  so  free  from  sensational- 
ism and  so  unobtrusive,  that  it  was  a  matter  of  surprise 
to  Dr.  Meier-Smith  to  find  that  he  was  watched  with 
marked  interest  by  some  prominent  clergymen  and  lay- 
men. From  some  of  these  friends  he  received  during 
this  year  a  number  of  letters  which  greatly  strengthened 
him  in  his  position  and  work.  His  modesty  would  not 
permit  him  to  assume  any  other  reasons  for  these  tokens 
of  kindly  regard  than  the  prominence  of  his  position 
in  the  Diocese  of  New  Jersey,  and  the  fact  of  his 
recent  entrance  into  the  Church,  —  considerations  of 


THE  FIRST  RECTORSHIP.  137 

some  weight  in  a  time  of  unusual  conflict  within  the 
Church. 

When  the  time  for  the  summer  vacation  came,  he 
went  with  his  family  to  Lake  George.  In  the  enjoy- 
ment of  the  pure  air  and  inspiring  surroundings,  re- 
newed vigor  came  to  the  invalid  for  whom  the  past 
months  had  been  filled  with  so  much  anxiety.  Upon 
the  return  to  Newark  in  September,  a  complete  recovery 
seemed  at  hand,  in  view  of  which  a  reluctant  consent 
was  given  by  his  parents  to  their  son's  desire  to  resume 
his  studies,  but  cautiously  as  this  began,  it  was  a  fatal 
mistake,  as  a  few  weeks'  experiment  proved. 

In  October,  1868,  the  General  Convention  met  in  New 
York.  The  sessions  were  of  much  interest  from  the 
general  excitement  upon  the  subject  of  Eitualism,  and 
from  the  attitude  taken  by  some  of  the  pronounced 
agitators.  The  petition  praying  for  legislative  action 
before  alluded  to  as  prepared  for  the  Diocesan  Conven- 
tion of  New  Jersey,  was  presented.  Though  it  received 
some  support,  many  who  were  relied  upon  to  promote 
it,  declined  to  do  so,  and  it  was  referred  to  a  committee 
and  indefinitely  postponed. 

Those  who  recall  Dr.  Meier-Smith's  work  during  the 
year  1869,  speak  especially  of  the  influence  upon  it  of 
the  domestic  sorrow  which  grew  deeper  as  the  winter 
advanced.  His  sympathetic  temperament,  strained  by 
the  solicitude  he  felt,  and  the  care  which  fell  upon  him, 
entered  as  never  before  into  the  sorrows  of  others. 
Never  was  the  faithful  pastor  so  fully  able  to  minister 
to  the  various  forms  of  trouble  he  met  in  his  large  par 
ish.  Sermons  came  fresh  from  a  heart  learning  precious 
lessons  through  its  own  experience.  "  I  know  how  to 
speak  to  sufferers  as  never  before,"  he  exclaimed  to  his 
wife.  "It  seems  to  me  that  I  must  have  made  a  miser- 


138  THE  FIRST  RECTORSHIP. 

able  failure  of  it  before ;  I  have  had  so  little  idea  what 
real  affliction  could  be." 

The  Lenten  days  of  1869  were  very  anxious  ones  at 
the  rectory.  Early  in  March  a  rally  of  strength  fol- 
lowed a  serious  prostration  in  the  condition  of  the  in- 
valid, but  again,  during  Holy  Week,  there  occurred  a 
sudden  failure,  the  heart  being  much  affected.  Good 
Friday  was  a  day  of  sad  watching  and  earnest  prayer, 
as  the  father  and  mother  realized  that  they  might  be 
called  upon  to  resign  this  only  son. 

When  Dr.  Meier-Smith  read,  during  the  Morning 
Service,  the  passage  from  the  Lesson  commencing, 
"  Because  thou  hast  not  withheld  thy  son,  thine  only 
son,"  the  emotion  and  tenderness  with  which  the  words 
were  pronounced,  touched  all  present,  and  many  hearts 
were  uplifted  in  the  prayer  that  the  young  life  might  be 
given  back  to  those  to  whom  it  was  so  dear.  Before 
Easter  dawned  there  was  an  encouraging  change,  and 
marked  improvement  followed. 

The  " Eecord  of  Services"  this  year  shows  earnest 
presentation  of  the  subjects  of  personal  repentance  and 
faith  in  Christ.  The  Eector  was  cheered  by  many 
interviews  sought  by  those  who  were  impressed  by  his 
faithful  instruction,  and  a  large  Confirmation  class 
was  the  ingathering.  After  Easter  the  effect  began 
to  appear  of  three  years'  arduous  work  in  a  new  field, 
added  to  the  burden  of  the  domestic  anxiety  of  the 
past  months.  Dr.  Meier-Smith  suffered  much  with  his 
head  and  eyes,  and  with  loss  of  nervous  strength.  His 
Vestry,  unsolicited,  voted  him  a  six-months'  vacation 
free  from  all  responsibility  for  the  parish,  but  he  de- 
clined to  accept  more  than  four  months.  This  vacation, 
commencing  after  Trinity  Sunday,  was  passed  for  the 
most  part  in  the  White  Mountains  and  at  Lake  George. 


THE  FIRST  RECTORSHIP.  139 

He  returned  much  benefited  by  the  long  rest,  and 
cheered  by  signs  of  improvement  in  the  condition  of 
his  son. 

The  parish  missions  gave  much  promise  at  this  time, 
and  as  party  feeling  had  somewhat  lulled  since  the 
General  Convention,  the  Church  year  opened  auspi- 
ciously with  the  prospect  of  enlarging  work  on  all 
lines.  During  Advent,  lectures  were  commenced  for 
working  people,  of  whom  a  large  number  had  some 
nominal  connection  with  the  parish,  though  few  came 
to  church.  After  Epiphany,  1870,  the  lectures  given 
were  upon  historical  or  scientific  subjects,  popularly 
treated  with  illustrations.  Through  this  work  Dr. 
Meier-Smith  made  personal  acquaintance  among  a  class 
before  unreached,  and  the  fruit  was  seen  in  a  greatly 
increased  attendance  upon  the  Sunday  evening  services, 
when  he  preached  simple  and  often  extempore  sermons. 
The  subjects  of  written  sermons,  as  recorded,  indicate 
the  thought  and  experience  born  of  the  many  months 
of  solicitude.  The  "  Resurrection  of  the  Body,"  "  The 
Life  after  Death,"  "The  Intermediate  State,"  "The 
Eternal  Life  begun  Here,"  were  among  the  topics  of 
sermons  preached  between  Easter  and  Whitsuntide. 

He  wrote  to  Dr.  Dyer,  under  date  of  May  1, 1870,  — 

.  .  .  To-day  I  complete  four  years  of  my  rectorship 
in  this  old  parish. 

They  have  been  blessed  years,  for  which  I  thank  God, 
and  under  God,  you,  most  of  all  men,  my  dear  friend 
and  brother,  for  the  kind  introduction  which  placed  me 
here.  In  my  own  home  there  has  been  great  sorrow, 
as  the  Lord  knows.  But  in  my  parish  work  there  has 
not  been  a  serious  obstacle  to  encounter.  If  only  I 
could  be  the  instrument  of  making  my  dear  people 


140  THE  FIRST  RECTORSHIP. 

know  and  love  the  Saviour  better,  and  do  more  for  him, 
I   should  be   the   happiest  parish   minister  alive.     I 
would  n't  go  back  to  Congregationalism  for  a  good  deal ! 
Good-night  Ever  affectionately  yours, 

MATSON  MEIER-SMITH. 

The  next  letter  was  written  shortly  after  the  well- 
remembered  case  of  "  Intrusion,"  to  which  it  makes 
playful  allusion. 

Dr.  Dyer  had  officiated  at  a  marriage  in  Trinity 
Church,  and  sent  the  fee  to  the  Rector. 

TRINITY  RECTORY,  NEWARK,  May  28,  1870. 

DEAR  DR.  DYER,  —  "  Damages  "  can't  be  paid  under 
the  law  as  I  read  it.  True,  the  "  Courts  "  decided  that 
trampoosing  into  other  parishes  and  preaching  in  con- 
venticles was  trespass,  —  in  re  Stubbs  &  Boggs  vs. 
Tyng,  —  but  this  was  not  done  in  conventicle.  Cathe- 
drals and  those  Churches  which  are  Cathedrals  ab 
excellentia,  by  all  sound  law  are  not  Methodist 
meeting-houses. 

It  is  therefore  not  clear  that  I  could  have  presented 
you  even  had  you  preached  after  climbing  in  at  the 
Chancel  window ;  the  thing  being  done  in  Church  and 
therefore  presumably  with  the  consent  of  the  Rector, 
or  his  connivance  at  least. 

A  Rector  to  insure  the  protection  of  Canon  law  in 
the  premises  must  show  that  the  Chancel  window  in 
that  case  had  wire  netting  outside  (Hoffman,  p.  22) ; 
else  he  does  not  take  ordinary  care  of  his  rights  and 
cannot  recover  (Bishop  Cardozo,  p.  350). 

Now,  had  you  preached  in  spite  of  my  prohibition,  or 
under  circumstances  which  exhibited  undue  violence  of 
determination  to  effect  entry  on  your  part,  I  might 


THE  FIRST  RECTORSHIP.  141 

accept  the  "  damages  "  as  a  sort  of  settlement,  —  being 
very  unwilling  to  enter  upon  litigation,  —  lest,  like 
Stubbs,  etc.,  I  get  my  foot  in. 

But  under  present  circumstances  the  case  is  not  so 
clear.  You  could  show  that  I  was  absent  from  my 
post,  and  therefore  could  not  do  the  work.  You  could 
probably  show  that  I  was  absent  with  full  knowledge 
that  the  parties  wished  to  be  married.  Therefore,  that 
I  would  not  do  the  work. 

On  the  whole  I  think  it  safer  that  you  pocket  the 
damages,  —  for  I  won't. 

By  the  way,  though  I  have  heretofore  acted  on  your 
principle  and  believe  it  to  be  a  good  one,  you  are  the 
first  clergyman  who  has  ever  proffered  me  the  "  fee." 
Give  my  love  to  Bishop  Potter,  and  tell  him  I  don't 
mean  to  give  him  a  chance  to  reprimand  you.  I  will 
give  your  love  to  my  Bishop,  and  tell  him  that  Stubbs- 
town  stops  before  Newark  begins. 
Truly  yours, 

M.  M.-S. 

P.  S.  I  have  since  writing  learned  that  my  church 
has  been  degraded  into  a  meeting-house,  the  Rev. 

Dr. j1  of  New  York,  having  speechified  in  it  last 

Monday  night!  But  that  was  after  your  officiating 
therein. 

Referring  to  a  probable  invitation  to  a  responsible 
post  other  than  that  of  a  parish  clergyman,  Dr.  Meier- 
Smith  wrote  to  Dr.  Dyer  from  Lake  George,  in  the  sum- 
mer of  this  year :  " .  .  .  Now,  that  is  the  whole  of  the 
matter.  Understand  that  I  am  not  and  do  not  seek  to 
be  a  candidate  for  that  position.  If  I  were  called  to  it 
or  to  any  other  position  in  the  Church  on  the  ground 

1  A  distinguished  Presbyterian  clergyman. 


142  THE  FIRST  RECTORSHIP. 

of  a  specific  fitness,  I  should  most  earnestly  and  faith- 
fully consider  the  call.  .  .  . 

"You  say  truly  that  I  love  the  parochial  work  and 
the  pulpit.  My  whole  heart  is  in  this.  My  only  am- 
bition is  to  be  successful  in  this,  —  a  wise  and  faithful 
pastor  and  rector,  a  good  and  influential  preacher  of 
the  everlasting  Gospel.  While  God  spares  my  life  and 
strength  this  alone  I  covet.  When  He  lays  me  aside 
from  this,  then  I  gratefully  take  whatever  else  He  per- 
mits me  to  do." 

The  six  weeks'  rest  in  summer  was  chiefly  spent  at 
Lake  George,  where  there  were  many  of  his  friends 
and  parishioners.  At  this  time  his  wife's  health  was 
much  affected,  and  some  alarming  symptoms  caused 
serious  fears  during  the  ensuing  autumn.  He  began  to 
be  apprehensive  that  without  relief  from  his  home 
anxieties,  he  could  not  bear  much  longer  his  heavy 
public  responsibilities.  The  fear  deepened  into  convic- 
tion, and  the  year  1871  opened  overshadowed  by  the 
apprehension  that  he  must  seek  relief  from  the  charge 
so  happily  entered  upon  five  years  before,  and  which  had 
been  in  all  parish  aspects  so  successful.  He  was  in 
doubt  whether  to  ask  for  a  protracted  leave  of  absence, 
or  to  resign  completely,  and  he  conferred  freely  on  the 
subject  with  friends  both  in  and  out  of  his  parish. 

Mrs.  Meier-Smith's  health  did  not  improve  during  the 
winter,  and  medical  opinion  was  decided  that  for  both 
her  and  their  son  a  radical  change  was  the  only  hope. 

Early  in  March,  1871,  the  Sector's  resignation  was 
sent  to  his  Vestry.  The  closing  portion  of  the  Letter  of 
Eesignation  is  here  given :  — 

TRINITY  RECTORY,  March  8,  1871. 

.  .  .  Were  I  to  consult  only  the  promptings  of  my 
heart,  I  should  frankly  and  trustfully  ask  you  to  grant 


THE  FIRST  RECTORSHIP.  143 

me  a  leave  of  absence  for  a  year,  and  hope  to  return 
to  friends  and  a  parish  I  so  dearly  love,  to  give  you 
thereafter  my  best  services  and  years.  But  my  judg- 
ment is  against  my  heart  in  this  case,  and  I  find 
myself  compelled  to  act  upon  the  painful  conviction  of 
duty,  and  to  lay  before  you  my  resignation  of  the 
rectorship,  to  take  effect  after  Easter,  and  if  you  please 
the  first  Sunday  after  Easter.  Let  me,  dear  friends, 
here  record  my  grateful  sense  of  all  your  kindness  and 
generous  affection.  Our  intercourse,  personal  and  offi- 
cial, has  been  unmarred  by  a  single  disagreement.  And 
I  cannot  conceive  of  a  more  cordial  and  agreeable  rela- 
tionship between  a  Eector  and  his  parish  than  this 
which  it  has  been  my  pleasant  lot  to  sustain  during  the 
five  years  which  will  expire  near  the  time  of  my  depar- 
ture. I  most  devoutly  commend  you,  and  all  whom 
you  represent,  to  the  blessing  of  our  God  and  Saviour, 
and  shall  ever  be  in  holiest  bonds, 

Your  loving  friend, 

MATSON  MEIER-SMITH. 

Before  action  was  taken  upon  the  resignation,  his 
friend  Mr.  Cortlandt  Parker  wrote  to  him :  — 

"  The  Vestry  are  universally  and  deeply  regretful,  and  will 
only  acquiesce  because  they  believe  it  is  a  wise  decision  for 
you  to  stay  away  a  year  or  more,  and  they  cannot  see  their 
way  clear  to  offer  so  prolonged  a  leave  of  absence.  Whatever 
men  can  do  to  testify  their  high  personal  regard  and  warm 
appreciation  of  your  services,  will  be  done." 

Although  convinced  of  the  wisdom  of  his  decision,  the 
necessity  was  hard  to  meet.  Very  many  of  his  large 
congregation  had  become  dear  personal  friends,  and  the 
unbroken  harmony  of  the  years  of  his  rectorship  only 
made  the  wrench  the  more  painful. 

This,  his  first  charge  in  the  Church  of  his  adoption, 


144  THE  FIRST  RECTORSHIP. 

was  ever  very  near  his  heart,  and  to  the  end  of  his  life 
he  felt  a  deep  interest  in  its  welfare. 

When  the  Vestry  accepted  the  resignation,  they  ac- 
companied their  action  upon  it  by  the  resolutions  which 
follow :  — 

"  Resolved,  That  the  Wardens  and  Vestry  of  Trinity  Church, 
Newark,  and  the  Parish,  part  from  their  Rector,  Rev.  Dr. 
Meier-Smith,  with  the  greatest  personal  esteem  and  regret. 
The  five  years  he  has  spent  among  us  have  been  years  of  per- 
fect peace  and  unanimity.  No  dissension  exists  or  has  existed 
in  the  Parish.  Its  general  situation  is  eminently  prosperous. 
He  has  preached  a  pure  Gospel.  He  has  done  it  with  ability 
of  the  highest  rank.  As  a  theologian,  sound,  clear,  and 
learned  ;  as  a  man,  genial,  kind,  and  generous ;  the  imper- 
sonation in  his  daily  life  and  walk  of  the  gentleman  and  the 
Christian.  He  has  adopted  the  plans  of  the  Church  with 
hearty  approbation,  and  carried  them  out  with  zeal  and  en- 
thusiasm. We  trust  that  health  may  soon  return  to  his  be- 
loved family,  and  that  he  himself,  rested  and  renovated  by 
absence  from  habitual  toil,  may  be  hereafter  even  more  suc- 
cessful in  preaching  that  Gospel  in  which  alone  he  seeks  to 
glory. 

"Resolved,  That  in  view  of  the  expenses  to  which  Dr. 
Meier-Smith  may  be  subjected,  and  as  a  testimony  of  the 
regard  felt  for  him  by  the  Vestry  and  congregation,  the  sum 
of  one  thousand  dollars  be  paid  him  in  addition  to  his  salary 
up  to  the  time  his  resignation  takes  place." 

Among  notices  in  the  religious  and  secular  journals, 
one  was  peculiarly  gratifying  as  expressive  of  the  kindly 
feeling  still  cherished  for  a  former  associate  by  some 
Presbyterian  friends. 

From  the  N.  T.  Evangelist,  April,  1871. 

"  Some  of  our  readers  have  very  pleasant  recollections  of 
the  Rev,  Dr.  Meier-Smith,  and  probably  always  read  his 


THE   FIRST   RECTORSHIP.  145 

name  of  late  years  with  the  comfortable  reflection  that  the 
Episcopal  body  really  owe  us  Presbyterians  a  good  turn  in 
consideration  of  the  excellent  stock  of  which  he  comes,  and  the 
well-furnished  condition  in  which  we,  or  our  Congregational 
brethren,  handed  him  over  into  their  preserve,  when  he  signi- 
fied a  wish  to  go.  He  has  been  very  useful  in  that  Church, 
always  preaching  an  excellent  sermon,  even  in  the  Presbyte- 
rian sense,  and  rendering  the  prayers  better  than  most  '  to  the 
manner  born.'  He  has  been  the  esteemed  and  efficient  Hec- 
tor of  Trinity  Church,  Newark,  for  five  years  past,  but  has 
recently,  for  reasons  of  health,  sent  in  his  resignation." 

The  resignation  was  to  take  effect  on  the  first  Sunday 
after  Easter,  April  16.  At  the  Confirmation  which  oc- 
curred on  the  Sunday  before  Easter,  thirty  candidates 
were  presented.  Of  the  services  of  the  last  Sunday  his 
wife  wrote  to  a  friend :  — 

"  Our  last  Communion  with  this  dear  church  !  Matson 
had  appointed  an  extra  celebration  especially  for  all  who  had 
been  confirmed  during  his  rectorship.  The  church  was  very 
crowded.  He  preached  no  sermon,  but  made  a  very  tender 
and  beautiful  address,  which  he  found  it  hard  to  get  through 
with.  I  did  not  go  out  in  the  evening.  I  could  not  bear  the 
strain  of  any  more  partings." 

At  the  close  of  the  "  Eecord  of  Services  "  before  enter- 
ing the  Episcopal  Church,  it  may  be  remembered  that 
he  wrote,  "  Here  endeth  the  First  Lesson."  The  closing 
^  words  concerning  his  work  in  Newark  are,  "Here 
endeth  the  First  Lesson  of  the  Evening  Prayer."  The 
words  seem  to  imply  that  while  in  the  very  prime  of 
mature  manhood,  he  discerned  in  the  near  future  the 
shadows  of  even-tide.  The  first  heavy  sorrow  of  his 
life  had  come  to  him  while  in  Newark.  Nor  this  alone, 
for  he  was  realizing  keenly  the  suffering  of  a  great  pro- 
fessional disappointment.  To  relinquish,  at  the  end  of 
10 


146  THE  FIRST  RECTORSHIP. 

five  years,  his  first  work  in  the  Church  of  his  mature 
choice  was  a  severe  trial  While  his  sunny  and  affec- 
tionate temperament  made  him  yet  the  stay  and  com- 
fort of  those  dependent  upon  him,  life  and  future  work 
had  lost  already  the  brilliant  colors  with  which  they 
had  been  invested  five  years  before.  The  hour  for 
"  Evening  Prayer "  had  struck,  and  he  heard  in  the 
distance  the  tolling  of  the  Vesper  bell. 

From  the  "  Record  of  Services  " :  "  The  impaired  health 
of  my  wife  and  son,  and  my  own  need  of  repose,  the  re- 
sult of  the  combined  toil  and  trial  for  three  years  past, 
led  me  to  resign  my  charge  as  Rector  of  Trinity  Church, 
and  to  plan  a  visit  to  Europe  with  my  family.  The  re- 
signation was  offered  March  8,  1871,  and  accepted,  to 
take  effect  the  first  Sunday  after  Easter,  April  16. 

"  During  iny  ministry  in  Newark,  I  have  preached 
and  lectured  five  hundred  and  twenty-six  times.  The 
aggregate  of  preaching  has  been  twice  every  Sunday  for 
five  years. 

"  I  have  baptized  one  hundred  children  and  twenty- 
six  adults. 

"  I  have  married  fifty-one  couples. 

"I  have  buried  eighty-seven  persons,  and  presented 
for  Confirmation  two  hundred  and  twenty-three  persons, 
more  than  one  fourth  of  those  presented  in  the  parish 
for  forty  years  past." 

Extracts  from  two  letters  from  Bishop  Odenheimer 
show  the  affectionate  relations  existing  between  the 
Bishop  and  Dr.  Meier-Smith ;  — 

March  16,  1870. 

MY  LOVING  AND  BELOVED  FRIEND  AND  REVEREND  BROTHER, 

—  Your  good  and  kind  words  affect  my  heart  and  make  me  love 
you  more  than  ever.  My  chief  concern  is  that  your  noble 
boy's  health  should  be  still  feeble,  but  I  pray  God  to  have 


THE   FIRST  RECTORSHIP.  147 

him  and  all  of  you  in  His  holy  keeping,  and  to  comfort  your 
heart  and  home  by  the  restoration  to  health  of  one  so  dear  to 
you, 

BURLINGTON,  NBW  JERSEY,  March  22,  1871. 

DEAREST  DOCTOR  MEIER-SMITH,  —  Your  letter  awaited  my 
return  home  from  a  visitation,  and  I  hasten  to  express  nay  very 
sincere  regret  that  I  am  to  lose  your  most  acceptable  and 
efficient  services,  even  for  a  short  time,  in  my  Diocese.  I 
know  that  you  have  good  ground  for  your  action,  and  I  can 
only  submit,  hoping  that  it  will  not  be  long  before  you  will 
return  to  your  country  and  Diocese,  refreshed  in  strength, 
with  your  wife  and  son  renewed  and  invigorated  by  foreign 
travel. 

I  have  no  personal  correspondence  abroad,  but  I  give  you 
an  official  letter,  which  is  as  full  of  personal  feeling  as  if  I 
were  writing  to  all  the  clergy  and  laity,  individually.  I  hope 
the  letter  may  be  of  some  little  service. 

Send  it,  with  your  card,  and  if  any  one  to  whom  it  is  sent 
cares  for  the  Bishop  of  New  Jersey,  he  will  open  his  heart  to 
one  of  the  best  beloved  and  most  honored  Presbyters  of  the 
Diocese. 

God  bless  you  and  your  wife  and  children  ! 

Ever  affectionately  your  Bishop  and  friend, 

W.  H.  ODENHEIMER. 

Many  letters  of  affectionate  leave-taking  were  received 
by  Dr.  Meier-Smith.  A  few  sentences  from  one  are 
given  here :  — 

.  .  .  And  now,  my  dear  Doctor,  I  have  only  to  add  the 
cheap  but  earnest  expression  of  my  highest  respect  and  sin- 
cere love  for  you  in  the  long  relation  which  we  have  occupied, 
—  regarding  you  as  my  pastor,  my  friend,  and  my  most  con- 
genial and  cultured  associate  in  the  world.  It  has  been  my 
loss  that  I  have  enjoyed  so  little  of  a  companionship  that  was 
most  grateful  and  cheering  to  me. 


148  THE  FIRST  RECTORSHIP. 

For  all  your  kindness  to  me  and  my  children  how  can  I 
thank  you  1  Especially  on  their  account,  for  whose  sake  I 
have  so  often  thanked  you  in  my  heart  of  hearts,  that  you 
have  so  considerately  given  them  the  advantage  of  your  re- 
fined home  atmosphere. 

May  God  bless  you  for  it  all,  and  may  He  spare  us  to  meet 
again,  when  I  pray  that  you  may  be  able  to  look  upon  every 
member  of  your  dear  family  restored  to  perfect  health.  I 
thank  God  for  every  remembrance  of  you,  and  so  may  He 
have  you  in  His  holy  keeping. 

Your  friend,  JAMES  S. 


Some  months  after  Dr.  Meier-  Smith's  death  the  same 
friend  wrote  as  follows  :  — 

"...  I  thank  you  very  much  for  your  kind  remembrance 
in  sending  to  us  the  copy  of  official  tributes  to  your  dear 
husband. 

"  Mrs.  MacKie  and  I  read  it  with  loving  and  tender  interest, 
and  yet  could  not  feel  that,  from  all  the  various  sources  of 
appreciation  and  love,  the  beautiful  character  of  your  husband 
had  been  justly  portrayed,  —  not  from  lack  of  appreciation, 
but  simply  because  he  was  '  one  among  ten  thousand  and 
altogether  lovely.' 

"  In  all  my  large  intercourse  with  men,  I  never  met  one  who 
had  the  elements  of  human  sympathy  and  attractiveness  so 
largely  developed  as  in  my  dear  old  Rector.  I  never  met  a 
man  whose  confidence  and  esteem  I  so  yearned  to  possess 


The  two  letters  which  follow  are  tributes  to  the 
memory  of  their  former  Eector,  from  other  beloved 
parishioners :  — 

from  Hon.  C'ortlandt  Parker. 

NEWARK,  October,  1889. 

...  I  was  very  fond  of  Dr.  Meier-Smith.  He  was  a  very 
manly  man.  He  knew  how  to  feel  for  his  fellow-man.  He 


THE  FIRST  RECTORSHIP.  149 

thoroughly  loved  the  right  and  the  truth.  He  had  not  a 
mean  hair  in  his  head.  He  was  a  real  Christian,  not  in  word 
or  pretension,  but  in  works  as  well  as  faith,  and  he  was  a  very 
able  man.  He  was  really  great  when  occasion  nerved  and 
excited  him.  One  of  the  finest  speeches  I  ever  heard  was  an 
impromptu  from  him.  I  built  my  conception  of  what  he 
could  do  by  finding  then  what  he  did.  .  .  . 

I  suppose  that  he  was  among  the  soundest  and  most  learned 
theologians  we  ever  had.  He  certainly  was  a  deep,  strong 
thinker  of  purest  Evangelical  doctrine,  utterly  free  from 
cant,  charitable  to  all  other  Christians,  and  to  all  shades  of 
true  Christian  belief.  His  mental  structure  was  somewhat 
uuexcited.  He  was  never  known  in  his  fulness,  but  when 
something  greatly  stirred  him.  I  saw  him  on  two  or  three 
of  those  occasions,  and  then  he  was  great.  I  remember  one 

especially,  the  funeral  of  Mr.  W.  E, .  No  one  expected 

an  address ;  Dr.  Meier-Smith  did  not  expect  to  make  one  ;  but 
as  the  service  ended  the  spirit  moved  him,  and  he  poured  out 
one  of  the  most  touching  and  tender  sermons  that  any  one 
ever  heard.  His  delivery  then,  too,  was  eloquent  in  the  ex- 
treme. Episcopal  congregations  require  the  clergymen  to  do 
everything ;  those  of  other  denominations  rather  wish  to  do 
most  things  themselves.  Dr.  Meier-Smith,  not  broken  in  to 
the  new  demand,  did  not  at  first  make  himself  fully  known  to 
his  people  generally  ;  but  after  awhile  they  found  him  out : 
they  found  how  tender  were  his  sensibilities,  how  ready  his 
hand,  how  inexhaustible  was  his  pity  and  his  charity.  He 
sometimes  did  himself  injustice  by  concealment  of  his  inner 
self. 

I  remember  one  incident  which  affected  me  deeply.  I  had 
engaged  to  accompany  him  on  the  errand  of  administering  the 
Communion  to  a  young  man,  once  a  student  of  mine,  who 
from  being  an  unbeliever  had  been  brought,  largely  through 
Dr.  Meier-Smith's  influence,  to  faith  in  the  Death  and  Atone- 
ment of  his  Lord,  and  who  was  dying  with  consumption.  He 
lived  a  mile  or  more  away  from  the  rectory.  "We  went ;  the 


150  THE  FIRST  RECTORSHIP. 

service  was  performed  ;  he  gave  the  poor  fellow  his  blessing ; 
and  then  as  he  entered  my  wagon  he  said,  "  Pray,  if  you  please, 
drive  home  a  little  fast,  I  left  Mrs.  Meier-Smith  quite  ill  when 
I  came  away."  I  reproached  him  for  going,  but  was  met  by 
the  quiet  remark,  "  I  did  not  know  how  long  this  poor  man 
might  have  to  live."  Fortunately,  when  he  got  home  things 
were  better  than  when  he  left. 

But  I  must  not  spend  time  in  dwelling  upon  this  sadly 
pleasing  theme.  I  will  only  add  that  Dr.  Meier-Smith  was 
a  manly,  tender-hearted,  Christian  gentleman  of  high  intellec- 
tual calibre,  keeping  himself  in  the  back-ground  by  the  avoid- 
ance of  all  pretensions  and  by  a  sort  of  dislike  to  self-exhibi- 
tion. Knowingly,  he  neglected  no  duty.  He  was  especially 
beloved  by  the  poor  to  whom  he  was  a  faithful  pastor  and 
friend. 

From  Mr.  Bloomfidd  J.  Miller. 

"  I  desire  to  write  a  few  lines  as  a  slight  tribute  to  my  dear 
old  Rector  and  friend,  Dr.  Meier-Smith,  from  one  who  loved 
and  esteemed  him  for  his  uniformly  kind,  gentle,  charitable, 
and  Christian-like  characteristics.  To  know  him  was  to  love 
him. 

"  He  was  one  who  could  be  relied  upon  to  rejoice  with  you 
in  prosperity,  and  sympathize  with  you  in  adversity.  His  ear 
was  always  open  to  those  in  trouble,  and  his  material  help 
was  always  freely  extended  to  those  who  needed  it. 

"  In  the  truest  sense  of  the  word  he  was  a  Christian  gentle- 
man, and  when  the  Great  Father  called  him,  every  one  who 
had  had  the  privilege  of  his  acquaintance  felt  a  deep  sense  of 
great  and  irreparable  loss. 

"  The  young  and  the  old  alike  found  in  him  a  friend  who 
would  inspire  them  with  hope  and  courage  in  the  dark  and 
dreary  days,  and  who  would  extend  the  kindliest  mantle  of 
charity  to  cover  the  sins  of  the  past,  and  a  strong  right  hand 
to  lift  them  up  to  higher  planes." 


THE  FIRST  RECTORSHIP.  151 

From  Rev.  Montgomery  E.  Hooper,  an  assistant 
minister  of  Trinity  Church,  during  Dr.  Meier-Smith's 
rectorship,  the  following  appreciative  letter  was 
received :  — 

"...  The  death  of  your  dear  husband  was  a  great  blow  to 
me.  One  more  of  my  old  and  true  friends  is  gone.  Though 
I  had  not  seen  Dr.  Meier-Smith  for  nearly  twenty  years,  I 
felt  just  as  sure  of  him  and  just  as  near  to  him  as  if  I  saw  him 
daily. 

"  His  rare  qualities  of  gentleness  and  kindness  and  genial 
tolerance  impressed  me  deeply  when  as  a  young  man  I  worked 
under  him,  and  now  that  I  have  seen  more  of  the  world  and 
of  men,  these  qualities  seem  rarer  and  more  valuable  than 
ever. 

"  I  had  an  entire  confidence  in  your  husband,  and  would 
have  confided  in  him  as  if  he  were  a  brother,  and  my  regard 
and  love  for  him  have  deepened  and  strengthened  as  I  have 
learned  more  of  life." 


XIII. 

LETTEES  FROM  EUROPE. 
1871. 

ON  the  22d  of  April,  1871,  Dr.  Meier-Smith  and  his 
family  sailed  for  Southampton,  England,  in  the 
steamship  "  Rhein." 

Many  of  his  late  parishioners  came  to  bid  farewell 
and  to  offer  their  affectionate  wishes.  An  absence  of 
eighteen  months  was  contemplated.  The  time  was  a 
memorable  one,  the  Franco-German  War  having  closed 
but  three  months  before.  The  Commune  reigned  in  Paris, 
and  the  news  of  the  fall  of  the  Column  of  the  Place 
Vendome  was  flashed  across  the  channel  on  the  day  of 
the  arrival  at  Southampton. 

United  Germany,  flushed  with  victory,  was  at  a  high 
pitch  of  enthusiasm,  and  hardly  a  more  interesting  time 
could  have  been  chosen  to  visit  her  historic  cities.  Con- 
tinental travel  on  some  familiar  lines  was,  however, 
impossible,  and  this  party  of  wanderers  accomplished 
what  few  Americans  have  attempted,  a  somewhat  ex- 
tended trip  in  Europe  without  a  sight  of  Paris,  a  visit 
to  which  city  is  averred  to  be  the  highest  aspiration  of 
some  of  their  compatriots. 

Notes  of  the  ensuing  months  are  given  in  extracts 
from  Dr.  Meier-Smith's  letters,  which  were  written  in 
journal  form  and  in  careful  detail,  for  the  entertainment 
of  his  parents.  To  quote  largely  from  the  letters  of  de- 


LETTERS  FROM  EUROPE.  153 

scription  would  be  superfluous  in  a  day  of  almost  uni- 
versal foreign  travel,  and  only  such  selections  are  made 
as,  from  the  expression  of  his  impressions  or  from  his 
chosen  view-points,  appear  especially  characteristic  of 
the  writer. 

SOUTHAMPTON,  ENGLAND,  May  2, 187L 

MY  EVER  DEAR  PARENTS,  —  Never  more  dear,  or  quite 
so  dear  as  now  that  the  Atlantic  rolls  between  us  ! 
Thanks  be  to  God,  we  are  safely  here,  landing  about 
six  o'clock  this  morning. 

England !  How  strange  it  is  to  me  to  think  that  I 
am  so  far  from  home  and  the  dear  ones  there !  They 
say  London  was  never  so  fearfully  full  The  French 
troubles  and  the  International  Exposition  have  drawn 
thither  immense  crowds.  I  have  but  a  moment  to  add 
to  Mary's  letter,  and  must  say  good-by,  with  all  its 
meaning.  God  bless  and  keep  you,  and  my  dear  sis- 
ter's family,  and  us,  through  our  journeyings,  —  and 
how  gladly  and  gratefully  shall  we  meet  again ! 
Your  loving  son, 

M.  M.-S. 

SOUTHAMPTON,  May  4,  1871. 

MY  DEAR  PARENTS,  —  Was  it  your  wedding  day  yes- 
terday ?  Oh,  those  happy  years  you  have  had,  full  of 
blessings,  though  some  of  them  were  sorrows  for  the 
day  !  God  grant  that  the  years  may  be  lengthened  yet, 
and  your  golden  wedding  may  be  this  side  the  golden 
gate !  It  seems  as  if  I  had  been  quite  a  while  in  Eng- 
land, but  I  remember  that  I  only  landed  two  days  ago. 
Our  cousins,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  George  N.  Dana,  of  Boston, 
have  run  down  from  London  to  meet  us  here,  and  last 
night  our  brother  and  sister,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Arthur 
W.  Parsons,  joined  us.  They  have  gone  to-day  to  the 


154  LETTERS  FROM  EUROPE. 

Isle  of  Wight,  whither  we  purpose  to  follow  them.  So 
we  have  felt  quite  home-like  and  jolly.  To-day  we  all 
dined  in  our  private  parlor,  and  it  was  a  reminder  of  old 
times.  Emily  has  sent  off  a  letter  to-day  telling  of  our 
visit  to  the  venerable  ruins  of  Netley  Abbey.  This  was 
our  first  ruin,  and  we  think  a  great  deal  of  it. 

"THE  COTTAGE,"  BONCHURCH, 
ISLE  OF  WIGHT,  May  8. 

Here  we  are,  a  merry  family  party,  at  housekeeping 
on  the  Isle  of  Wight!  We  are  possessors  for  a  few 
weeks,  more  or  less,  of  a  house  on  the  estate  of  Lady 
Pringle,  sister  of  the  Marquis  of  Breadalbane.  Earl 
Fitz- William  was  the  last  tenant  Who  these  big-bugs 
are  I  do  not  know,  and  certainly  do  not  care ;  but  the 
names  are  very  tremendous,  and  so  I  give  them.  We 
arrived  here  last  evening,  and  the  morning  has  revealed 
the  beauty  of  the  place  to  our  delighted  eyes.  "  The  Cot- 
tage," a  large  house  in  Old  English  style,  looks  out  upon 
the  Channel,  and  off  toward  the  horizon  and  France. 

Lady  Pringle's  agent  furnishes  everything,  including 
silver  and  servants.  Bonchurch  is  a  delightfully  se- 
cluded spot,  though  very  accessibla  It  is  embowered 
amid  exuberant  foliage,  enriched  with  every  variety  of 
romantic  formation,  hill,  valley,  lofty  downs,  and  deep 
chines.  Every  inch  of  ground  is  under  culture ;  the 
fields  are  framed  in  hawthorn  hedges  ;  the  roads,  nar- 
row and  in  perfect  order,  twist  and  turn  and  roll  along 
up  hill  and  down,  among  cottages  and  little  hamlets, 
and  the  loveliest  pictures  of  rural  life  that  mortal  eye 
can  desire.  Just  now  I  wish  I  were  a  poet.  Then  I 
might  sing,  and  tell  you  something  of  that  which  we 
feel,  but  which  is  all  beyond  pen  or  pencil,  unless  to 
him  who  nascitur  non  Jit. 


LETTERS  FROM  EUROPE.  155 

Yesterday  was  Sunday.  How  good  it  was  to  have  a 
"  Sabbath  "  again  !  Those  two  horrible  days  on  ship- 
board were  not  Lord's  Days.  I  went  with  Mary  and 
Emily  to  the  parish  church  of  St.  Boniface.  It  was  so 
home-like,  and  we  had  the  Holy  Communion  service. 
Just  as  when  I  was  a  little  boy,  ever  so  wee,  I  loved  to 
catch  my  dear  mother's  hand,  and  felt  safe  in  the  dark,  or 
when  taking  a  walk,  so  I  love  now  as  a  man, —  and  never 
more  did  I  feel  it  than  I  did  yesterday,  —  in  that  sacra- 
ment, to  take  hold  of  the  hand  of  the  unseen  Lord,  and 
feel  its  throb  and  warmth,  and  know  the  love  that 
sways,  and  how  safe  are  all  interests  in  Him.  In  the 
evening  I  went  to  an  Independent  Chapel,  and  heard 
an  earl  preach,  —  a  layman.  Earls  do  not  preach  any 
better  than  other  folk.  This  one  kept  saying  "  in  our 
midst,"  which  barbarism  is  enough  to  condemn  any- 
body. This  afternoon  I  visited  what  must  be  the  small- 
est church  in  the  world,  built  in  the  twelfth  century. 
It  was  formerly  eleven  feet  broad  and  twenty-five  feet 
long.  It  has  now  been  enlarged,  and  is  forty -five  feet 
long.  It  has  its  little  chancel,  pews,  a  Rector,  and  a 
very  full  congregation. 

God  bless  and  keep  you  all. 

LONDON,  May  21. 

Strange  to  me  it  seems  to  be  in  this  great  historic 
city  of  the  English-speaking  people,  to  look  upon  the 
palaces,  and  edifices  of  less  pretence,  and  the  churches 
and  cathedrals  which  have  been  looked  upon  by  kings 
and  common  people  for  so  many  centuries. 

Before  closing  the  Isle  of  Wight  history,  I  must  tell 
you  that  we  called,  with  an  introduction  from  Bishop 
Odenheimer,  upon  Miss  Sewell,  the  author  of  "  Laneton 
Parsonage"  and  several  other  works  for  the  young. 
She  is  a  delightful  little  body,  and  took  us  at  once 


156  LETTERS  FROM  EUROPE. 

into  her  warm  circle.  I  told  her  playfully,  that  one 
thing  I  did  not  like  in  England,  —  namely,  that  amid 
all  the  beauties  surrounding  them,  the  wealthy  people 
appeared  to  "be  selfishly  exclusive.  Around  their  ele- 
gant places  they  erect  stone- walls,  from  six  to  ten  feet 
in  height,  and  so  not  only  wall  out  the  view  of  their 
own  grounds  from  foot-passengers,  but  wall  off  pros- 
pects beyond  them. 

I  told  her  that  in  America,  the  wealthy  man  who 
adorned  his  estates  did  nothing  of  this  kind,  but  suf- 
fered his  neighbors  and  all  stragglers  by  the  way  to 
look  upon  the  beautiful  creations  of  his  fancy  and 
wealth  to  their  content.  And  so  every  man  contrib- 
uted to  the  general  elevation  who  indulged  his  own 
cultivated  taste.  She  laughed,  and  said  it  was  their 
national  trait  to  be  "John  Bull"  and  exclusive,  but 
she  would  take  me  behind  the  walls,  and  show  me 
what  was  concealed,  and  how  the  very  formation  of 
their  island  rendered  such  high  walls  necessary.  And 
she  was  as  good  as  her  word,  for  showing  that  some  of 
the  walls  were  partly  terraces,  and  partly  "ha-ha" 
arrangements,  she  introduced  me  to  some  of  the  most 
exquisite  pictures  and  beautiful  grounds  I  ever  saw. 
Among  other  things,  in  one  garden  a  little  oaken  door 
into  what  seemed  a  cavern,  opened  into  a  fernery,  a 
little  grotto,  a  hot-house  full  of  various  ferns,  rich, 
luxuriant,  —  making  one  think  of  the  period  when  the 
Carboniferous  Age  was  the  way  of  the  would. 

The  Tower  of  London. 

LONDON,  May  23. 

[After  a  description  of  the  usual  Tower  routine,  he 
says:]  By  the  time  we  had  gone  the  "round"  our 
guide  pointed  the  way  out,  and  the  party  which  had 


LETTERS  FROM  EUROPE.  157 

been  led  about  under  his  instructions,  slowly  made 
their  exit  from  the  gates.  But  my  little  wife  was 
not  at  all  satisfied.  This  would  not  do.  There  were 
more  things  in  the  Tower  of  which  we  had  read,  and 
we  must  see  them.  The  warder  said  it  was  impossible 
to  gain  access  to  them  except  by  special  order  from 
the  governor  of  the  Tower.  We  must  apply  to  him 
by  letter,  and  possibly  he  might  issue  the  order  for  our 
admittance.  But  the  governor  was  just  then  away 
from  home.  I  proposed  to  wait  and  try  again  ;  but 
Mary  asked  the  ticket  master  if  there  were  not  some 
way  of  gaining  the  point,  and  he  directed  us  to  the 
"  senior  yeoman,"  or  "  chief  warder  of  the  Tower," 
who  was  standing  at  the  gate.  In  very  discreet  obedi- 
ence to  her  commands,  I  applied  to  this  magnificent 
looking  individual,  and  told  him  that  we  had  come 
thousands  of  miles  to  London,  and  this  historic  spot, 
and  as  Americans,  could  not  abandon  our  hopes  and 
desires  for  a  glimpse  of  those  things  which  are  rarely 
shown. 

"  You  shall  see  them,  sir,  —  I  will  accompany  you 
myself.  The  governor  is  absent,  and  I  can  take  you 
everywhere." 

So  down  we  went  beneath  the  great  White  Tower, 
into  the  depths,  and  saw  the  fearful  dungeons,  —  one 
in  particular,  dark  as  a  tomb,  wherein  Sir  Thomas 
More,  and  Fischer,  the  Lord  Bishop  of  Eochester,  had 
been  immured,  and  whence  the  latter  went  forth  to 
die.  There  was  another  room  in  another  part,  where 
Fischer  was  also  confined,  more  comfortable,  light, 
and  airy,  in  what  is  now  the  governor's  house.  Our 
guide  put  us  into  one  of  the  dungeons,  and  bolted 
us  in,  so  that  we  had  a  momentary  taste  of  darkness, 
powerlessness,  and  woe. 


158  LETTERS  FROM  EUROPE. 

Thence  we  ascended,  and  visited  the  Bloody  Tower, 
and  entered  the  room  wherein  the  two  young  Princes 
were  smothered;  and  near  by,  the  stairway,  recently 
discovered  and  unwalled  (to  coin  a  word),  down  which 
their  dead  bodies  were  thrown.  In  this  room  other  mur- 
ders were  committed,  —  persons  of  historic  note.  In 
this  room  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  had  quarters  for  a  while 
more  comfortable  than  the  dungeon,  and  here  his  son, 
Carew  Raleigh,  was  born.  From  this  place  we  went 
into  the  Church, —  "St.  Peter's,"  —  interesting  as  the 
place  where  lie  interred  many  eminent  persons,  —  as 
Queens  Anne  Boleyn  and  Katherine  Howard,  Sir  Thomas 
More  and  Bishop  Fischer,  Thomas  Cromwell,  the  Earl 
of  Essex,  Lady  Jane  Grey  and  her  husband,  and  many 
more.  We  stood  over  some  of  their  graves.  And  we 
went  down  into  the  vaults  under  the  Church,  among 
the  sleeping  places  of  the  illustrious  dead.  Then  our 
guide  bade  us  wait  in  the  courtyard  a  few  moments, 
and  presently  he  conducted  us  into  the  governor's 
house.  To  make  a  retrospective  diversion  for  a  mo- 
ment,—  I  forgot  to  speak  of  what  interested  and 
moved  me  most  in  examining  the  Bloody  Tower. 
Near  by  the  chamber  of  the  murdered  Princes,  we 
were  ushered  into  a  beautiful  room,  nicely  furnished 
now,  the  room  wherein  those  Martyr-Reformers,  Cran- 
mer,  Latimer,  and  Ridley,  held  conference  touching 
their  course,  and  their  answers  which  they  should 
make  to  their  Popish  persecutors.  That  was  a  holy 
spot  to  me. 

But  to  return  to  the  governor's  house.  There  we 
entered  the  room  wherein  Archbishop  Laud  —  the 
bigoted,  it  may  be,  but  sincere  High  Churchman  — was 
confined,  and  the  window  through  which  he  stretched 
his  hands  to  give  his  benediction  to  the  Earl  of  Straf- 


LETTERS   FROM  EUROPE.  159 

ford,  who  preceded  him  in  the  march  to  execiition  a 
year  or  two.  Close  to  this  was  the  apartment  which 
the  venerable  Bishop  Fischer  had  occupied,  to  which 
I  alluded  when  speaking  of  the  Bloody  Tower,  and 
whence  he  wrote  to  Sir  Thomas  Cromwell  that  he  was 
in  need  of  more  comfort  for  his  advanced  age,  being 
eighty  years  old. 

We  were  then  ushered  into  the  room  wherein  Guy 
Fawkes  and  his  fellow  conspirators  were  tortured  and 
examined  concerning  their  infamous  plot,  by  the  Lords 
and  King  James.  The  event  is  commemorated  by  a 
monumental  tablet  on  the  wall. 

Here,  too,  is  the  room  through  which  Lord  Nithes- 
dale  escaped  after  his  condemnation,  arrayed  in  the 
garments  of  his  wife,  —  possibly  Jeff.  Davis  had  read 
the  story,  —  and  a  shred  of  the  cloak  is  preserved,  as 
well  as  a  fac-simile  pattern  of  it,  which  the  warder 
threw  on  Emily's  shoulders. 

And  we  saw  the  death-warrants,  the  original  papers, 
elegantly  bound,  with  others  of  similar  purport,  in  large 
folio  volumes,  which  consigned  to  execution  many  il- 
lustrious persons ;  we  marked  particularly  the  names 
of  Lord  Eussell,  Algernon  Sidney,  and  the  Duke  of 
Monmouth.  We  saw  too,  and  handled,  the  grim  axe 
which  was  borne,  by  officers  appointed,  in  front  of 
those  who  were  on  trial ;  its  sharp  edge  turned  away 
from  them  until  they  were  condemned,  but  toward 
them  as  soon  as  death  sentence  was  passed,  and  which 
was  carried  in  front  of  them  on  the  way  to  the  block. 

These,  you  will  perceive,  were  things  which  the  ma- 
jority of  travellers  do  not  see.  We  were  greatly  favored, 
and  1  gladly  made  a  handsome  fee-present  to  the  oblig- 
ing man  who  gave  us  this  hour  and  a  quarter  of  atten- 
tion, instruction,  and  pleasure. 


160  LETTERS  FROM  EUROPE. 

It  was  a  memorable  day's  work  indeed,  so  to  move 
among  the  places  where  kings  and  queens,  princes  and 
nobles,  martyrs  of  the  State,  and  martyrs  of  Jesus  have 
moved  in  ages  past,  and  to  look  upon  the  places  where 
they  suffered,  some  of  them,  and  places  where  others 
mingled  in  all  the  splendor  of  royal  magnificence  and 
display.  To  feel  that  I  have  stood  there,  —  to  be  able 
to  say,  "I  was  in  the  room  where  Cranmer,  Latimer, 
and  Eidley  conferred  and  prayed  together  in  those 
'  days  of  tribulation,' "  —  pays  for  crossing  the  seas. 

To  his  Sister. 

LONDON,  June  8. 

London,  city  of  such  histories,  is  a  great  Babel. 
It  is  perfectly  immense.  It  has  neither  beginning, 
middle,  nor  end.  Miles  and  miles,  straight  and  crooked, 
go  in  what  direction  you  please,  and  the  same  dingy 
and  gloomy  houses  are  on  either  hand,  dark  gray  and 
smoke-begrimed,  or  blackish  brown  and  smoky.  .  .  . 

Though  the  signs  are  English,  and  the  newspapers 
are  printed  in  English,  I  am  not  yet  sure  what  lan- 
guage the  people  speak.  I  find  many  words  and  sen- 
tences which  I  cannot  catch  without  great  effort,  and 
some  are  beyond  me  altogether.  And  the  difference 
between  England  and  America  can  be  felt  in  many 
indescribable  ways.  Take  the  average  middle  class 
which  make  up  the  bone  and  sinew,  and  in  fact  the 
brain  of  the  nation,  more  or  less,  and  the  man  of  repub- 
lican institutions  is  vastly  superior  to  his  brother, 
trained  beneath  aristocracy  and  sndbbydom.  I  see  no 
middle-class  Englishmen  who  for  up-and-down  inde- 
pendence and  self-conscious  manliness  are  the  equals  of 
those  in  similar  grades  of  life  with  us.  I  cannot  imag- 
ine among  Americans,  well-dressed  men  dancing  atten- 


LETTERS  FROM  EUROPE.  161 

dance  on  you  to  open  your  cab-door,  or  to  look  at  you 
get  into  it,  or  get  out  of  it,  and  then  touch  the  hat  most 
menially,  and  ask  for  a  gift  of  a  penny  or  a  sixpence. 
Yet  here  they  do  just  this,  and  what  wonder  all 
the  street  loungers  in  rags,  and  dozens  of  little  boys, 
bother  you  for  the  same  service,  —  or  plague  rather,  — 
and  similar  gifts.  The  English  are  a  mercenary  crowd. 
From  the  Earl  of  Warwick,  who  charges  a  shilling  for 
showing  his  house  and  grounds,  —  nominally  his  house- 
keeper's perquisite,  —  down  to  the  boy  who  brushes 
your  boots,  not  one  John  Bull  is  above  taking  your 
extended  shilling,  or  happy  unless  he  gets  it.  Make 
all  due  allowance  and  subtraction  from  this  sweeping 
remark,  and  you  will  have  the  fair  view  of  the  matter. 

LEAMINGTON,  June  26. 

.  .  .  This  morning  I  took  a  most  delightful  walk  to 
Cubbington  (odd  name),  a  rural  parish,  and  called 
upon  the  clergyman,  in  company  with  my  brother-in- 
law,  Mr.  Parsons.  The  walk  was  through  fields  of 
grain,  and  through  private  property,  yet  along  a  regu- 
lar pathway,  laid  out  and  kept  in  order,  with  sign- 
boards, and  even  lighted  and  neatly  railed  in  some 
parts.  This  pathway  is  one  of  the  old  pathways  of 
England,  free  from  the  Roman  days,  —  pathways  which 
no  landholder  can  close,  though  they  go  through  his 
premises  anywhere  and  everywhere,  whether  he  will 
or  not.  The  farmers  till  the  ground  on  either  side,  but 
infringe  not  a  hair's-breadth  upon  public  rights.  The 
passenger  may  not  leave  the  pathway  for  the  right  or 
the  left,  it  may  be,  without  peril  of  trespass,  but  he  may 
roam  the  kingdom  at  will,  through  fields  and  parks,  if 
only  those  ancient  and  sacred  ways  lead  him,  safe  and 
undisturbed,  be  he  rich  or  poor,  a  gipsy  or  a  foreigner. 
11 


162  LETTERS  FROM  EUROPE. 

LEAMINGTON,  June  27. 

I  have  taken  two  more  of  those  delightful  English 
walks.  This  forenoon,  in  company  with  Mary  and 
Emily,  I  went  to  Lillington,  — my  second  tramp  in  that 
direction.  We  went  into  a  sweet  little  church-yard, 
and  read  the  inscriptions  from  the  grave-stones.  There 
was  one  quite  odd,  —  a  pauper's  grave,  I  suppose,  but 
evidently  a  pauper  whose  very  friendlessness  is  his  dis- 
tinction. It  ran  thus :  — 

In  memory  of 

William  Treen  who  died  3  Feb.,  1810. 
Aged  77  years. 

"  Poorly  lived  and  poorly  died, 

Poorly  buried  and  no  one  cried." 
"  Blessed  are  the  dead  which  die  in  the  Lord." l 

This  afternoon's  ramble  was  a  solitary  one.  It  was 
along  a  pathway  such  as  I  described  yesterday,  to 
"  Guy's  Cliff,"  whereof  I  gave  you  some  account  in  the 
previous  letter.  It  was  a  lovely  pathway  through 
fields,  among  cows  and  sheep,  with  the  greenest  of 
grass  on  either  side,  and  the  most  fragrant  perfumes 
filling  the  air.  The  hay-makers  were  busy,  and  the 
mown  grass  was  surpassingly  sweet. 

"  The  pathways  of  the  fathers ! "  I  do  not  wonder 
that  so  many  good  men  use  this  expression,  and  then 
follow  in  ecclesiastical  matters  all  the  ideas  of  their 
forefathers,  as  the  people  of  Old  England  do.  For  the 
pathways  over  their  English  fields,  generations  have 
trodden,  and  no  ways  could  be  more  direct,  more  de- 
lightful, or  easier  for  the  feet. 

I  stood  again  upon  a  bridge  over  the  Avon,  beside  an 
old  mill  wherein  an  undershot  wheel  plashes  away,  and 
looked  at  the  elegant  mansion  of  My  Lady,  the  widow 

1  This  grave  is  mentioned  in  Hawthorne's  "  Our  Old  Home." 


LETTERS  FROM  EUROPE.  163 

of  Lord  Percy.  And  from  the  public  road  I  gazed  again, 
through  the  vista  of  the  trees,  whose  iiiterlacings  make 
a  wondrous  aisle  of  Gothic  arch,  upon  another  front  of 
the  great  house ;  and  turning  away  again  to  tramp  this 
time  over  a  dusty  road  and  through  village  streets,  I 
thought  of  my  dear  American  land  and  my  loved  ones 
and  of  our  free  American  people  and  happy  homes  and 
open-hearted  ways,  and  my  thoughts  grew  warm,  and  I 
leaped  forward  in  them  to  the  time  when  travel  should 
be  over,  and  I  should  see  those  shores  again,  and  once 
more  resume  the  good  work  of  life. 

CHESTER,  July  2. 

This  day  I  attended  service  at  the  Cathedral.  It  is  a 
venerable  old  building.  Morning  service  was  in  the 
choir.  The  Lord  Bishop,  Dr.  Jacobson,  was  preacher. 
The  sermon  was  very  plain  and  unpretending,  but  a 
most  delightful  one.  The  music  was  like  all  I  have 
heard  in  English  churches,  simple,  fervent,  choral ;  only, 
as  ringing  beneath  those  lofty  arches  and  through  the 
aisles,  very  grand  and  inspiring.  At  6.30  P.  M.  was  what 
is  the  most  popular  service  among  the  common  people 
of  England ;  and  this,  held  in  the  nave,  was  attended 
by  a  very  large  congregation,  the  preacher  being  the 
Canon  Eesident,  the  Eev.  Charles  Kingsley,  a  preacher 
of  great  force,  fervent,  pronounced,  vigorous,  of  Saxon 
words,  of  sledge-hammer  blows,  —  the  most  of  a  speaker 
I  have  heard  in  England ;  one  of  whom  we  should  say 
he  had  never  written  or  could  write  a  work  of  fiction,  so 
directly  practical  is  he  in  thought  and  expression,  were 
not  his  writings  known  and  his  position  established. 

EDINBURGH,  July  4. 

Of  all  the  cities  I  have  seen,  this  Edinburgh  takes 
the  palm.  For  situation  it  is  unrivalled.  Had  it  the 


164  LETTERS  FROM  EUROPE. 

St.  Lawrence  flowing  by  its  Castle,  as  that  river  sweeps 
around  the  rocks  upon  which  the  Citadel  of  Quebec 
stands,  I  verily  believe  nothing  could  be  grander  in 
the  world  or  in  all  time.  After  a  late  breakfast  and 
some  private  rambles  about  the  streets,  we  visited  the 
Castle,  which  stands  upon  a  bold  precipitous  rock,  three 
hundred  and  eighty  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea. 

.  .  .  Very  near  the  Crown  Boom  was  the  room  of 
Queen  Mary,  the  bed-chamber,  of  very  small  dimen- 
sions, in  which  she  gave  birth  to  her  son.  In  the  large 
apartment  adjoining  was  a  beautiful  portrait  of  Mary 
at  the  age  of  eighteen,  when  she  was  Dauphiness  of 
France,  and  most  surely  after  seeing  this  I  can  credit 
the  family  tradition  by  which  my  Mary  and  her  mother 
claim  descent  from  the  Eoyal  House. 

York  Minster. 

July  8. 

It  is  simply  impossible  to  communicate  the  emotions 
with  which  I  stood  in  this  magnificent  temple,  and 
gazed  upon  the  grandeur  of  its  arches,  its  massive 
columns,  its  exquisite  beauty  of  proportions.  It  is 
to  my  mind  grander  than  Westminster.  Strength  and 
beauty  are  in  Thy  Sanctuary,  O  Lord  of  Hosts !  We 
stood  at  the  separation  between  the  choir  and  the  nave, 
beneath  the  lofty  opening  into  the  tower,  just  as  the 
great  bell  of  the  Minster  struck  the  hour  of  noon. 
Never  have  I  heard  such  sublime  reverberations,  so 
sweet,  so  awful,  in  their  peerless  tone.  It  was  like 
the  archangel's  trump,  and  they  swelled  and  rolled 
through  the  arches.  It  was  worth  crossing  the  ocean 
to  hear  those  twelve  strokes. 

One  asks  what  is  the  use  of  these  cathedrals  ?  Mod- 
ern churches  are  infinitely  better  for  the  modern  use  of 


LETTERS  FROM  EUROPE.  165 

Christian  people,  doubtless.  It  is  better,  too,  to  mul- 
tiply now,  plainer,  smaller,  simpler  edifices  for  the  ex- 
tension of  the  Church  of  God,  and  to  devote  more  sums 
and  skill  and  strength  to  the  diffusion  of  the  Gospel. 
This  I  do  not  doubt.  But  within  these  vast  piles  of 
everlasting  rock  what  histories  have  been  enacted,  what 
battles  for  truth  been  fought  and  won,  what  generations 
of  saintly  men  and  women  have  been  trained  for  Eternal 
Life !  What  volumes  of  prayer  have  arisen !  What  dis- 
plays of  God  and  of  Christ  have  been  made !  Yes ;  all 
these  amid  many  errors  too,  showing  how  even  in  the 
corrupt  ages  there  has  been  working  the  leaven  of  a 
vital  Christianity,  showing  that  in  spite  of  Satan  the 
gates  of  hell  shall  not  prevail.  I  begin  to  see  new 
meaning  in  the  expression  the  "  One  Catholic  and 
Apostolic  Church,"  and  in  that  other,  "  The  Com- 
munion of  Saints."  I  grow  larger  and  broader  and 
more  catholic  of  spirit  every  time  I  tread  those  an- 
cient floors. 

COLOGNE,  July  18. 

As  I  am  writing,  —  quarter  past  eight,  —  the  descend- 
ing sunlight  reposes  above  the  turrets  of  the  Cathedral ; 
a  little  steamer  is  shooting  down  the  Rhine,  which  drives 
along  so  vigorously  northward,  bearing  Alpine  snows  to 
the  sea ;  people  are  leisurely  travelling  over  the  bridge  of 
boats  ;  the  band  of  the  hotel  is  discoursing  sweet  music 
in  the  garden  beneath  us ;  people  are  gathering  for  their 
little  treats  of  coffee  or  salad  or  punch  or  beer.  Every- 
thing again,  as  last  night,  is  so  German.  And  what  an 
air  these  men  have !  They  salute  you  so  grandly.  They 
step  so  proudly.  The  helmeted  soldiers  and  —  the  band 
is  now  playing  "  America  "  —  the  sentinels  look  so  aloft. 
The  style  of  the  conqueror  pleases  them  and  becomes 
them.  They  are  proud  of  "our  Fritz,"  and  proud  of 


166  LETTERS  FROM  EUROPE. 

Wilhelm,  and  proud  of  the  German  Empire,  now  a  fact 
realized.     And  so,  I  confess,  is  my  German  blood. 

This  morning  in  the  Cathedral,  where  we  went  to  look 
at  the  skulls  of  the  wise  men,  the  young  priest  who  was 
our  guide  began  to  explain  in  German.  I  said,  "  parlez- 
vous  Frangais,"  to  indicate  that  we  could  comprehend 
French  better  than  German.  He  at  once  with  an  in- 
effable disdain  said,  "  Do  you  speak  English  ?  "  and  then 
proceeded  to  enlighten  us  in  our  native  tongue  most 
admirably. 

COBLENTZ    ON    THE    RHINE,   July  21. 

MY  EVER  DEAR  PARENTS,  —  I  am  writing  this  in  the 
Giant's  Hotel,  why  so  called  I  know  not,  seated  in  a 
cosey  parlor,  from  which  the  outlook  is  upon  the  beau- 
tiful Ehine,  the  famous  bridge  of  boats  being  at  our 
feet,  and  opposite  aloft,  Germany's  proud  fortress,  — 
Ehrenbreitstein,  the  "broad  stone  of  honor."  This 
Castle  is  a  magnificent  stronghold,  reposing  on  a  lofty 
and  precipitous  hill,  defiant  of  all  armies,  serene  be- 
neath the  imperial  ensign  of  the  United  Germany  and 
the  "Kaiser  und  Konig,"  whom  the  German  people 
almost  adore. 

To-day  I  made  an  excursion  to  see  a  physician,  Doc- 
tor Unschuld,  at  Neuenahr,  a  small  watering-place  on 
the  Ahr,  a  few  miles  from  Remageu,  which  is  on  the 
Ehine  about  halfway  between  Coblentz  and  Bonn.  The 
whole  vicinity  thus  visited  in  every  direction  is  most 
charming.  The  hills  are  clad  with  vines  to  the  very 
tops.  And  significantly  do  the  fields  utter  hygienic 
oracles,  for  they  blossom  with  wheat  which  speaks 
labor  and  wholesome  food,  and  with  scarlet  poppies 
among  the  wheat  and  grain,  bidding  us  repose.  You 
would  be  greatly  amused  to  hear  me  endeavoring  to 
speak  in  French  and  in  German,  particularly  the  latter. 


LETTERS  FROM  EUROPE.  167 

I  carry  a  phrase-book  in  my  bag,  and  my  bag  on  my 
neck,  and  so  load  up  and  fire  away  at  random.  I  man- 
age generally  to  make  myself  understood,  but  find  my 
match  the  instant  any  reply  is  made,  which  is  always 
utterly  and  infinitely  incomprehensible.  My  resource 
then  is  to  look  for  somebody  to  speak  English  or 
French,  and  so  interpret  for  me. 

STRASBCRG,  "  ALSACE,"  July  25. 

We  left  this  morning  by  rail  at  about  10.30  for  Stras- 
burg,  the  city  of  the  great  siege  a  year  ago.  Approach- 
ing Strasburg  the  signs  of  the  war's  work  are  abundantly 
apparent.  Marks  of  shot  and  shell  are  visible  on  all  sides. 
Devastation  indeed  there  must  have  been.  Within  the 
city  many  ruins  remain.  But  the  old  Cathedral  rears 
its  lofty  spire  serenely,  and  we  are  quietly  housed  in  the 
Hotel  de  Ville  de  Paris,  where  Germans  reign  and  Eng- 
lish is  spoken. 

And  here  —  God  bless  and  love  and  keep  you,  while 
I  say,  good-night. 

July  26. 

After  breakfast  I  visited  the  bankers  to  procure  some 
"  Napoleons,"  and  then  sallied  out  with  Mary  and  Emily 
to  see  the  famous  Cathedral.  On  the  journey  we  had 
opportunity  as  yesterday  to  observe  the  remaining  ef- 
fects of  the  war,  houses  broken  and  dismantled  right 
between  other  houses  apparently  all  unharmed,  splendid 
edifices  in  ruins,  shot  and  shell  ornaments  for  sale,  me- 
mentos of  the  direful  days,  women  and  young  girls  ar- 
rayed in  deep  black.  Although  it  is  said  orders  were 
given  in  the  beleaguering  armies  not  to  injure  the  Ca- 
thedral, still  even  this  edifice  bears  many  marks  of 
rough  treatment,  though  accidental 


168  LETTERS   FROM   EUROPE. 

BERNE,  SWITZERLAND,  July  27. 

The  ride  from  Bale  to  Berne  was  the  route  by  Her- 
zogenbusche.  I  had  said  before  I  left  home  that  Switz- 
erland I  cared  not  whether  I  saw  or  not.  Everybody 
raved  about  it,  but  mountains  were  gloomy  to  me,  and  I 
would  not  like  it.  So  much  for  contr airiness.  I  give 
it  up.  Even  this  German  Switzerland  is  the  most  ex- 
quisite country  for  lovely  beauty  my  eyes  have  ever 
seen.  What  the  other  Suisse  will  be,  I  do  not  venture 
to  conceive. 

The  road  lay  along  the  hills  and  valleys,  rich  and  ver- 
dant, with  the  most  romantic  and  peaceful  varieties  of 
scenery  ;  strange  combination  you  will  say,  but  the  two 
adjectives  precisely  express  it.  The  lovely  little  villages 
and  hamlets  and  chalets  were  at  every  bend  in  the  road, 
all  so  simple,  so  picturelike,  so  inconvenient  for  the  en- 
joyment of  life,  I  admit ;  but  all  the  prettier  for  this. 
And  at  last,  as  we  approached  Berne,  a  perfectly  superb 
view  of  the  entire  chain  of  the  Bernese  Alps  burst  upon 
us.  Their  lofty  peaks  shot  up  into  the  air  like  spires  of 
icebergs,  flashing  in  a  flood  of  sunlight,  as  if  snow-clad 
and  the  snow  in  rifts  and  furrows,  or  like  brilliant 
clouds  piled  up  along  the  horizon.  And  in  the  play  of 
the  sunlight  they  seemed  to  my  eye  to  dance  like  the 
flashing  of  the  Northern  Aurora.  It  was  like  the  gor- 
geous dream -pictures  of  the  Pilgrim's  Progress,  the 
gates  of  glory  and  the  hills  of  heaven.  It  was  such  a 
vision  as  might  precede  a  new  apocalypse.  Had  this 
burst  upon  me  a  quiet  traveller,  not  whirling  amid  dins 
by  steam,  methought  I  should  have  waited  to  see  and 
hear  things  unutterable.  But  things  unutterable  they 
were  which  our  eyes  did  see,  and  to  the  ear  of  our  hearts 
the  Alp  voice  spoke  in  that  vision.  Mary's  eyes  filled 
with  tears  at  the  strange  emotion.  It  seemed  so  new, 


LETTERS  FROM  EUROPE.  169 

so  like  the  portals  of  the  World-Infinite  in  the  distance, 
golden,  silvery,  ineffable  for  grandeur  and  for  glory. 
From  my  parlor  window  where  I  write,  —  mine  for  a 
few  hours  in  the  Bernerhof  Hotel,  —  I  look  upon  these 
mountains  now  while  the  evening  mists  gather  upon 
them.  I  know  not  the  names  of  those  sublime  Teach- 
ers ;  but  as  they  stand  there  robed  before  our  eyes,  guard- 
ing on  the  horizon  one  of  the  loveliest  landscapes  that 
ever  feasted  mortal  eye,  they  silently  discourse  of  things 
illimitable  and  things  eternal.  They  speak  of  faith  and 
of  life.  They  speak  of  God,  and  to  my  ear  they  speak 
quietly  of  Him  who,  mid  "  mountains  and  the  midnight 
air  "  taught  the  world  to  pray  to  Him  who  is  unseen. 
Oh,  if  only  you  dears  at  home  could  look  this  evening 
with  us  upon  those  heights !  In  the  descending  sun- 
light they  are  sublime. 

But  to  descend  from  the  everlasting  hills,  all  things 
around  us  and  near  at  hand  are  sweetly  beautiful.  The 
air  is  vocal  with  music  of  birds.  The  little  balconies 
and  windows  and  terraces  all  around  are  filled  with 
men,  women,  and  children,  enjoying  the  placid  evening, 
and  looking  upon  the  marvels  of  glory. 

LAUSANNE,  August  6. 

The  wind  is  whistling  without  as  if  it  were  a  winter's 
storm,  though  it  is  a  fine  night,  and  the  day  has  been 
exquisitely  beautiful.  The  Sunday  is  more  regarded 
here  than  in  Germany.  The  shops  are  shut.  I  do  not 
know  how  well  people  go  to  church,  excepting  that  at 
the  English  service  this  morning  there  was  quite  a  full 
attendance.  In  the  courts  of  the  Lord  I  feel  at  home  ; 
everywhere  else  I  feel  strange.  The  familiar  prayers 
and  the  sweet  service  of  the  Holy  Communion  refresh 
me.  But  in  the  streets,  among  crowds, —  do  you  remem- 


170  LETTERS  FROM  EUROPE. 

her  it  somewhere  in  the  Acts,  that  Paul  was  "  in  Athens 
[that  great  City],  alone  "  ?  I  begin  to  understand  this. 
The  Cathedral  we  visited  the  other  day,  cathedrals  be- 
ing supposed  to  be  worthy  visitation.  We  had  read 
that  it  was  erected  about  the  middle  of  the  thirteenth 
century  and  consecrated  by  Gregory  X.,  in  the  presence 
of  Eudolph  of  Hapsburg.  And  we  saw  that  it  was  a 
large  Gothic  edifice  of  simple  construction.  But  enter- 
ing it,  we  found  nothing  specially  worth  seeing,  except- 
ing the  great  bareness  and  general  absence  of  all 
ornament  which  marks  the  antagonism  of  the  Swiss 
Eeformers  to  even  the  semblance  of  papal  art.  Images 
of  the  Virgin  and  saints  in  various  lofty  niches  were 
decapitated  and  otherwise  maimed.  Poor  Saint  Sebas- 
tian, full  of  his  arrow-holes,  stood  in  an  ignoble  retreat 
behind  a  pillar  in  the  porch.  Altar  and  screens  there 
were  none.  Pure  spirituality  was  symbolized  in  the 
complete  stripping  of  the  sacred  edifice.  But  when  I 
learned  that  only  one  service  was  held  there  on  Sun- 
day, and  that  at  9  A.  M.,  I  feared  that  the  Reformation 
had  gone  too  far,  and  that  probably  undevout  rationalism 
ruled. 

GENEVA,  August  16. 

This  afternoon  I  made  a  short  excursion  to  Nyon,  a 
village  an  hour  distant,  going  by  train  and  returning  by 
boat  Upon  the  dock,  while  waiting  for  the  boat,  I  had 
good  opportunity,  for  some  twenty  minutes,  to  observe 
Prince  Napoleon  ("  Plonplon ")  and  his  wife  Clotilde, 
who  accompanied  for  a  "  farewell "  the  brother  of  the 
Princess  Clotilde,  Prince  Humbert,  the  heir  to  the  throne 
of  Italy,  son  of  Victor  Emmanuel.  M.  Napoleon  has 
quite  the  face  of  the  Buonaparte  family,  and  resembles 
the  first  Emperor.  He  is,  however,  a  tall  and  large 
man,  of  good  figure,  dressed  very  genteelly  and  looking 


LETTERS  FROM  EUROPE.  171 

so  clean  !  His  eye  is  brilliant,  and  his  manner  quite 
fascinating,  and  when  he  said  good-by  to  his  royal 
brother-in-law,  he  did  it  with  extraordinary  grace. 
Mme.  Clotilde  is  a  very  plain-looking  personage,  no 
handsomer  than  her  father  in  the  face,  but  of  course 
better  looking  by  far,  inasmuch  as  she  is  petite  and  not 
at  all  gross.  The  Crown  Prince  is  a  slim  and  quiet 
young  fellow,  quite  dark,  as  a  true  Italian,  with  a  most 
ordinary  style  of  face,  lines  and  eyes  quite  after  the 
fashion  of  his  father's,  heavy  mustache,  and  a  manner 
entirely  unselfconscious,  democratic,  or  republican 
rather,  for  simplicity.  He  was  attended  by  a  fat  fel- 
low who  may  have  been  a  general  or  a  prime  minister 
or  a  valet.  He  was  so  fat  and  oily  that  I  dubbed  him 
"  Count  Fosco,"  after  Wilkie  Collins's  character. 

M.  Humbert,  Victor  Emmanuel,  Regis  Romce,  worthy 
even  of  H  Re  galantuomo,  was  trying  to  travel  incog. 
Poor  fellow,  he  could  n't  do  it.  I  looked  at  him  with 
thoughts  of  pity,  —  pity  for  the  responsibility  which  he 
must  some  day  carry  on  those  not  broad  shoulders  ;  pity 
for  the  aches  which  sometimes  must  throb  away  in  that 
poor  skull  of  his  when  he  is  king,  and  has  to  manage 
his  ministers,  keep  his  eye  on  the  Jesuits,  take  care 
of  the  Pope,  lead  forward  the  people,  maintain  his  own 
throne,  govern  Italy,  and  keep  the  peace  with  Europe, 
or  fight  as  it  may  be. 

INTERLAKEN,  August  19. 

From  our  balcony  in  this  hotel  to-day,  we  looked  out 
and  saw  through  the  partings  of  mountains,  in  all  her 
glory  and  marvellous  beauty,  the  Jungfrau.  The 
clouds  rolled  away  for  a  little,  the  sun  played  upon 
her  form,  and  she  stood  robed  in  spotless  white,  "  a 
bride  prepared  for  her  husband."  Not  snow  capped, 
but  snow  clad,  a  vast  summit  of  mountain,  intensely 


172  LETTERS  FROM  EUROPE. 

white,  —  a  sort  of  world  of  snow  and  ice.  And  yet 
no  thought  of  iciness,  for  the  Jungfrau  is  warm  and 
lovely.  Seen  from  Geneva,  Mont  Blanc,  at  very  early 
morning,  or  just  at  the  sinking  of  the  sun,  was  a  mag- 
nificent grandeur.  But  it  was  only  a  mountain.  This 
Jungfrau  is  not  a  mere  mountain.  She  seems  to  live 
and  think.  One  might  look  up  to  her  and  speak  to  her, 
and  verily  be  amazed  if  she  deigned  no  notice  of  his 
address. 

LUZERNE,  SWITZERLAND,  August  24. 

.  .  .  To-day  I  saw  a  diorama  of  views  from  the 
neighboring  summits  of  the  Rigi  and  Pilatus.  A  sign 
was  up  over  a  curiosity  shop,  to  the  effect  that  a  franc 
and  a  half  would  give  the  grand  vision.  So  in  I  went. 

"  Will  you  walk  into  my  parlor,  said  the  spider  to  the  fly  ?  " 

I  entered  and  —  pop  !  —  downstairs  comes  Monsieur 
the  Showman,  and  invites  me  up  into  his  great  place  of 
observation.  I  was  ushered  into  a  dark  room,  and  the 
door  was  carefully  closed.  My  showman  entered  with 
me.  He  was  the  lecturer.  I  was  the  entire  audience. 
The  green  curtains  were  mysteriously  rolled  away,  — 
before  me  reposed  a  panorama  of  Mt.  Pilatus.  "  Now 
you  sail  zee  de  sunset  ober  de  mountains,  if  you  please," 
—  and  shadows  fell  apace  upon  the  scene,  and  a  dim 
sunset  haze  made  quite  an  effect. 

The  Eigi  view  came  next.  "  Now,  sare,  if  you  vas 
upon  the  Eigi  Culm  top  zu  would  valk  around  to  see 
de  wue  [view].  But  as  zat  is  not  possible  for  to  do  ici, 
ze  diorama  will  go  round."  Presto,  "ze  diorama" 
ground  its  way  by  slow  jerks.  The  pointings  out  were 
quite  laughable.  "  Vare  you  see  dat  lake  wis-a-wis, 
dat  is  de  lake  Zug.  Und  now  dat  lake  wis-a-wis  to  zu 
is  de  lake  ob  four  Cantons.  Dare,  ou  you  see  de  leetle 


LETTERS  FROM  EUROPE.  173 

vite  spots,  dat  is  Luzerne,  —  und  ou  you  see  de  snow 
mountains,  dat  is  de  Jura  chain,"  etc.,  interminably. 

The  picture  was,  however,  remarkably  fine,  and  I  was 
as  well  satisfied  as  if  I  had  climbed  the  heights. 

MUNICH,  August  28. 

The  hotels  are  crowded,  so  many  persons  going  to 
see  the  Drama  of  the  Crucifixion  at  Ober  Ammergau. 
I  cannot  imagine  how  Christians  from  America  or 
England  can  endure  such  a  spectacle.  It  may  be  that 
the  rite  is  a  religious  one,  and  the  result  of  a  solemn 
vow  a  century  or  two  ago,  and  that  the  people  enter 
into  it  as  a  religious  service;  but  it  seems  to  me  horri- 
ble to  witness  any  man  personating  the  Saviour  in  his 
trial  and  his  woe. 

...  I  had  the  effrontery  in  the  course  of  my  pere- 
grinations to  call  upon  that  man  so  famous  as  the 
leader  of  the  Anti-Infallibility  School,  Doctor  Dollinger. 
I  introduced  myself  as  one  of  thousands  in  America 
who  entertained  for  his  course  a  profound  admiration, 
and  for  himself  great  sympathy.  He  received  me  with 
the  utmost  cordiality,  and  we  had  quite  a  chat  about 
the  Vatican  Council,  and  the  Catholic  Church,  and 
fraternity  between  true  Catholics  and  Protestants.  Dr. 
Dollinger  is  a  spare  man,  thin  and  wiry,  with  long, 
dark-brown  hair,  wrinkled  face,  and  keen,  dark  eyes, 
a  comical  and  determined  and  most  intellectual  expres- 
sion, homely,  piquant,  powerful.  He  is  in  appearance 
the  hard-working  professor,  —  not  at  all  the  well-con- 
ditioned priest 

NUREMBERG,  August  31. 

It  was  very  interesting  to  observe  the  evidences  of  the 
contrast  between  the  Swiss,  or  Zwinglian  and  Calvin- 
istic,  Reformation  and  the  German,  or  Lutheran.  In 


174  LETTERS  FROM  EUROPE. 

the  Swiss  Cathedrals  and  Churches,  all  images  and 
ornaments  and  symbols  of  the  Koman  Catholic  age  had 
been  removed  or  mutilated.  You  may  recall  that  I 
mentioned  the  appearance  of  the  Lausanne  Cathedral  as 
being  so  destitute  of  ornament.  The  one  at  Geneva  was 
almost  as  much  so.  The  visitor  entering  the  Lutheran 
Churches  here  in  Nuremberg,  would  have  no  idea  that 
he  was  not  in  a  Roman  Catholic  Church,  excepting  for 
the  fact  that  there  are  plenty  of  seats  for  hearers,  and 
plenty  of  pulpit  convenience. 

All  altars,  pictures,  Madonnas,  crucifixes,  candles, 
images  of  saints,  and  shrines  of  saints  remain  as  they 
were,  only  they  are  not  used. 

DRESDEX,  September  5. 

I  have  seen  that  great  thing  of  Dresden,  —  the  Sis- 
tine  Madonna.  Many  a  time  as  I  have  looked  upon 
the  engraving  which  depicts  it,  and  then  upon  what  is 
better  than  any  engraving,  —  the  beautiful  photograph 
from  the  crayon  sketch  so  familiar  to  us,  —  I  have  won- 
dered if  I  should  ever  gaze  upon  the  original.  And  it 
was  with  peculiar  emotion  that  I  stood  yesterday  in  the 
little  corner-room  of  the  Eoyal  Gallery,  and  saw  it 
face  to  face.  There  is  singular  beauty  and  purity  in 
the  conception  of  the  Virgin  herself.  It  appears  to  me 
that  in  this,  Raphael  surpassed  all  other  painters,  and 
himself.  The  child  is  not  more  wonderful  than  the 
mother. 

BERLIN,  September  8. 

The  walk  to  the  Gardens  led  me  through  quite  a  re- 
markable forest-like  park.  Just  think  of  thick  woods, 
acres  in  extent,  thick  as  those  at  Conway  in  the  White 
Mountains,  with  ride-ways  and  drive-ways,  right  in  the 
midst  of  a  city.  On  one  side  of  the  street,  magnificent 


LETTERS  FROM  EUROPE.  175 

residences,  and  thick  shades  on  the  other ;  palatial  splen- 
dor on  the  one  hand  —  a  five  minutes'  walk,  and  the 
thick  dark  hack-woods  of  the  far-back  country. 

Even  in  this  brilliant  city  the  German  is  the  German. 
Along  this  beautiful  and  fashionable  "  Unter  den  Lin- 
den," on  piazzas  and  balconies,  men  and  women  sit  at 
little  tables,  and  eat  and  drink  and  smoke,  and  scruti- 
nize the  passers-by.  Germany  loves  out  of  doors. 

I  have  just  this  day  received  my  dear  sister's  letter 
of  August  25,  telling  me  how  poorly  our  darling 
mother  is,  but  having  the  postscript  pencilled  that  she 
slept  well  last  night.  So  I  take  a  crumb  of  comfort, 
and  hope  and  pray  that  the  Lord  will  order  that  we 
meet  again  ere  long,  and  that  I  may  help  gladden  my 
dear  mother's  heart  by  narrations  of  travel,  and  by  the 
ministrations  of  a  loving  son. 

Van  Dyke's  pictures  of  the  Saviour  impress  me  very 
much,  particularly  one  I  saw  to-day  of  Jesus  being 
mocked,  having  the  purple  robe,  and  the  reed  put  in 
his  hands  ;  such  weariness  and  woraness,  such  dis- 
tress, more,  a  painter  could  not  put  into  a  human 
face.  Another  picture  of  Christ  dead,  mourned  over 
by  Mary  Magdalen,  Saint  John,  and  an  angel,  was  quite 
suggestive.  An  admirable  Eubens  of  the  Resurrec- 
tion of  Lazarus  was  also  most  worthy  of  mention, 
Lazarus  looking  as  if  he  had  been  dead. 

In  a  large  hall  leading  to  what  is  called  the  "  New 
Museum,"  are  some  fine  mural  decorations  by  Kaul- 
bach,  —  splendid  frescos.  One  represents  the  Con- 
fusion of  Babel,  with  Nimrod  as  king  in  the  centre, 
and  the  descendants  of  Noah's  three  sons  in  groups, 
scattered,  and  indeed  confounded,  in  speech. 

Another  impressed  me  greatly,  representing  a  legend 
in  a  Battle  of  the  Huns,  wherein  the  combatants  were  so 


176  LETTERS  FROM  EUROPE. 

exasperated  that  the  slain  rose  in  the  night,  and  fought 
in  the  air.  The  city  of  Rome  is  in  the  distance ;  above, 
borne  on  a  shield,  is  Attila  with  a  scourge  in  his  hand, 
and  opposite  him,  Theodoric,  King  of  the  Visigoths. 

This  afternoon  I  took  a  carriage,  and  drove  with 
Mary  and  Emily  out  to  Charlottenberg. 

The  Mausoleum,  erected  for  the  parents  of  the  Em- 
peror, is  a  beautiful  temple,  with  its  chancel  and  altar. 
Scripture  legends  are  on  the  walls.  Two  white  marble 
tombs,  with  effigies  representing  the  meritorious  dead 
in  repose,  stand  in  front  of  the  altar.  The  figure  of  the 
queen  is  beautiful.  It  was  a  satisfaction,  as  I  looked 
at  her  lovely  face,  to  think  how  entirely  her  imperial 
son  had  avenged,  in  the  humiliation  of  the  second 
Napoleon,  the  insolence  offered  that  mother  by  the 
imperious  first  Napoleon.  Over  the  crucifix,  behind 
the  altar,  is  a  beautiful  fresco.  The  Lord  our  Saviour, 
by  whom  kings  reign,  is  seated  in  the  centre  on  a 
throne.  On  either  side  of  Him  kneel  in  adoration  the 
king  and  queen,  casting  their  crowns  at  His  feet. 
Under  it  are  in  German  the  words,  "  I  am  the  Lord 
and  there  is  none  beside  Me." 

I  like  the  strong  religiosity  which  comes  out  so  in 
the  German  nature,  and  asserts  itself  so  strongly,  what- 
ever must  be  said  of  the  religious  character  of  the 
nation. 

BERLIN,  September  11. 

I  write  to-day  wondering  how  these  lines  will  find 
you.  I  am  solicitous  in  the  highest  degree,  from  the 
tenor  of  the  last  advices  from  home ;  yet  I  trust,  by  the 
great  favor  of  our  God,  before  this  my  dear  mother  is 
convalescent,  and  that  this  will  meet  you  in  comfort 
and  peace.  As  the  time  draws  near  in  which  we  ex- 
pect to  be  voyagers  again,  I  have  a  strange  shrinking 


LETTERS  FROM  EUROPE.  177 

from  the  embarkation,  since  I  leave  behind  me  unat- 
tained  what  I  had  for  my  own  self  most  desired,  and 
much  beside  that  I  wished  to  see  and  do.  Yet  I  am 
persuaded  that  the  over-ruling  hand  of  God  has  moulded 
my  plans  and  disappointed  me.  I  could  not  endure 
to  remain  in  Europe,  with  my  mother  in  a  failing  state, 
and  had  I  not  engaged  my  passage  when  I  did,  I  should 
see  no  way  of  coming  until  mid-winter. 

BREMEN,  September  15. 

This  is  written  from  our  ancestral  city,  and  the  home 
of  our  relatives,  now  so  few,  however. 

Bremen  presents  a  pretty  appearance,  with  many  new 
houses  in  blocks,  and  many  attractive  residences  de- 
tached. The  gardens  and  little  parks  are  well  laid  out, 
and  the  city  seemed  to  give  us  a  home-like  welcome. 

Arriving  in  Bremen,  I  went  to  see  Cousin  Emily 
Pauli.  She  lives  on  a  street  which  fronts  upon  the 
old  ramparts,  or  "Wall,"  as  they  call  it,  but  which 
are  now  simple  promenade  pleasure-grounds,  and  very 
attractive.  To-morrow  I  am  to  drive  with  her. 

I  learn  that  Mr.  John  Meier,  the  old  burgomeister,  is 
very  ill,  and  therefore  I  suppose  I  shall  not  see  him. 
Emily  Pauli  says  he  has  been  talking  about  my  coming, 
and  expressing  great  delight  and  desire  to  see  "  Matson," 
of  whom  he  had  heard  so  much  in  former  years. 

BREMEN,  September  17. 
MY  EVEE  DEAR  FATHER  AND  MOTHER  AND  ALL  OF  YOU 

DEAR  ONES  AT  HOME,  —  As  I  write  this  date,  I  perceive 
that  it  is  just  one  month  before  our  day  of  sailing.  The 
thought  fills  me  with  conflicting  emotions.  What  will 
be  before  that  month  expires  ?  What  shall  be  when  the 
voyage  is  over,  if  God  in  His  kind  care  bring  us  safely 

12 


178  LETTERS  FROM  EUROPE. 

across  the  sea  ?  I  hope  and  pray  that  we  may  meet, 
—  all  of  us,  —  with  thankful  hearts,  and  that  our  lives 
all  spared  and  health  renewed,  we  may  rejoice  together. 
But  as  God  wills,  who  orders  all  things  well.  There  is 
somewhere  a  quaint  hymn  by  Eichard  Baxter,  beginning, 
"  Lord,  it  belongs  not  to  my  care  whether  I  live  or  die," 
in  which  hymn,  I  think,  are  the  words,  "  Christ  leads 
us  through  no  darker  rooms  than  He  went  through  be- 
fore." And  somehow  I  like  that  hymn,  though  I  cannot 
now  recall  another  word  or  vestige  of  it.  When  we  are 
able,  as  we  think,  to  take  care  of  ourselves,  —  by  any 
foresight  to  avoid  evil  or  calamity,  to  engineer  our  own 
way,  —  then  we  feel  as  if  all  things  belonged  to  our  care, 
and  we  are  sometimes  sore  troubled  and  perplexed.  But 
when  to  carry  out  our  plan  is  impossible,  and  circum- 
stances are  out  of  our  control,  then  we  can  throw  all 
care  and  sorrow  upon  God,  and  ask  His  help,  and  rest 
upon  it.  I  learned  this  at  sea,  and  I  am  learning  it  anew 
almost  every  day.  Tossing  on  the  ocean  in  a  little  box 
of  wood  and  iron,  one  realizes  human  impotence. 

.  .  .  Yesterday  I  set  out  to  inspect  the  ancestral  city. 
First,  we  went  to  the  venerable  Rathhaus,  or  Senatorial 
and  City  Hall  of  time  immemorial,  where  the  Burgo- 
meisters  were  wont  to  meet,  and  the  Senators  to  rule 
affairs.  And  in  the  queer  big  hall  of  the  assembled 
Wisdom  (for  the  Bremen  Senate,  or  Government  Coun- 
cil, is  or  was  called  the  "  Wittheit "  or  the  "  Wisdom  "), 
hung  with  pictures  of  whales,  and  models  of  ships  upon 
the  windows,  among  the  aristocratic  names,  shields,  and 
armorial  bearings,  I  observed  the  arms  and  names  of 
the  Meiers  emblazoned  for  the  coming  generations  to 
reverence.  From  the  Senate  house  we  went  to  the  old 
Cathedral,  "  the  Dom,"  of  which  my  grandmother  used 
to  speak,  and,  by  the  way,  we  went  to  church  there  this 


LETTEKS  FROM  EUROPE.  179 

morning,  and  heard  a  German  sermon,  of  which  I  un- 
derstood not  a  single  sentence.  In  the  Dom,  which  is  a 
fine  old  church,  is  a  curious  apartment  called  the  Blei 
Keller,  an  ancient  vault  for  the  dead,  which,  like  three 
or  four  others  in  Germany,  possesses  such  quality  of  air 
that  putrefaction  does  not  take  place  in  it.  In  this  vault 
were  several  corpses  lying  in  open  coffins,  which,  it  is 
affirmed,  have  been  there  kept  for  periods  from  one  hun- 
dred to  four  hundred  and  thirty  years.  They  were  not 
skeletons,  but  more  like  mummies,  the  skin  shrivelled 
and  tight  over  the  bony  frame-work,  though  bone  color, 
and  not  black,  as  the  Egyptian  mummies  are. 

.  .  .  From  R ,  on  the  way  back  to  Bremen,  we 

stopped  at  "  Horn,"  the  country-seat  of  the  Burgomeis- 
ter,  Mr.  John  Meier.  Mr.  Meier,  as  my  last  informed 
you,  is  quite  ill,  and  evidently  going  his  way  from 
hence.  I  found  him  in  his  parlor  among  his  family,  in 
good  thick  dressing-robe,  and  received  an  exceedingly 
warm  and  touching  welcome.  He  said  he  had  heard  so 
much  about  the  "  wonderful  grandson  of  his  Uncle  Cas- 
par" from  my  dear  grandmother  whom  he  loved  so 
warmly,  that  he  longed  to  see  me  in  Bremen.  He  in- 
quired about  many  things,  which  proved  that  his  inter- 
est in  the  various  members  of  our  family  was  not  a  thing 
for  effect,  and  he  was  tolerably  well  posted  respecting 
us.  He  asked  after  my  father  and  mother,  and  their 
health,  and  was  much  moved  at  the  report  I  was  com- 
pelled to  make.  With  messages  of  great  affection,  he 
bade  me  good-by,  —  for  the  call  was  necessarily  short, 
—  and  expressed  many  thanks  that  I  had  come.  He 
was  a  dear  old  man,  and  reminded  me  so  much  of  my 
mother  in  the  contour  of  head  and  face  that  my  heart 
went  right  out  to  him.  Mrs.  Meier  took  us  into  a 
parlor  to  see  the  family  portraits.  .  .  . 


180  LETTERS  FROM  EUROPE. 

It  really  has  been  a  great  pleasure  to  see  these  rela- 
tives, and  to  find  them  so  cordial  to  a  stranger,  simply 
because  he  is  one  of  the  family.  And  I  am  very  glad 
that  my  daughter  has  had  a  peep  at  them  too. 

LONDON,  October  9. 

...  In  the  afternoon  I  went  to  the  Royal  Chapel  in 
the  Whitehall  Palace,  —  a  chapel  once  the  banqueting 
hall  of  kings,  and  itself  all  that  remains  of  the  original 
palace.  The  attraction  was  the  preacher,  Prof.  F.  D. 
Maurice,  —  a  famous  Broad  Churchman  of  many  years, 
one  of  the  most  liberal  and  cultivated  divines  of  Eng- 
land, a  writer  of  great  beauty  and  wide  charity.  He  is 
a  very  fine-looking  old  gentleman,  with  an  intellectual 
countenance,  much  above  the  average  of  the  English 
clergy.  Maurice  has  a  keen  dark  eye,  a  face  with  many 
lines  of  humor  in  it,  yet  under  the  greatest  control,  a 
mouth  that  speaks  promptly,  and  a  lip  and  chin  that 
will  neither  be  vacillating  nor  obstinate. 

I  cannot  say  I  am  tired  of  the  Old  World.  I  cannot 
say  we  have  gained  even  all  I  had  hoped  to  gain.  But  I 
can  say,  mortal  man  could  not  do  much  more  or  better 
under  the  circumstances  than  we  have  done.  The  in- 
valids, I  think,  have  made  some  progress. 

For  Emily's  sake,  more  than  any  other,  I  am  sorry 
that  our  travel  has  been  abridged,  and  that  we  do  not 
pass  the  winter  in  some  continental  city.  But  she  is 
so  good,  so  charming,  so  self-forgetful,  so  great  a  bless- 
ing and  comfort,  that  I  know  she  will  come  again  some 
day. 

For  myself,  I  can  speak  when  I  see  you.  I  was 
not  all  right  when  I  left  home.  The  relief  from  the 
parish  care  and  sermon -writing  has  been  of  very  great 


LETTERS  FROM  EUROPE.  181 

benefit.  The  entire  change  in  ways  of  life,  in  the 
mere  food  and  air  and  exercise,  has  proved  also  exceed- 
ingly beneficial.  Though  the  solicitudes  have  been 
something  of  a  drawback,  and  have  given  me  two  or 
three  more  gray  hairs  and  crow's-feet,  I  am  better  in 
mind  and  nerve,  as  well  as  elsewhere,  corporeally.  Then 
the  mental  refreshment  for  us  all  Though  we  have 
not  been  in  either  France  or  Italy,  we  have  made 
thorough  acquaintance  with  English,  German,  and  the 
French  and  German-Swiss  ideas  and  ways.  We  have 
seen  the  life  of  this  metropolis,  of  British  villages,  and 
of  continental  cities.  We  have  been  among  historic 
places.  We  have  been  picking  up  facts  and  philoso- 
phizing. We  have  seen  treasures  of  art.  We  have 
found  the  world  bigger  than  it  looked  before,  and  have 
learned,  I  think,  to  prize  more  than  ever  our  own  land 
with  all  its  defects,  our  own  country  with  its  free  in- 
stitutions, and  our  better  type  of  religion,  —  that  I  mean 
which  is  Protestant,  Evangelical,  earnest,  and  aggres- 
sive. I,  for  one,  as  a  clergyman,  am  glad  too  to  be 
able  to  hold  up  my  head  among  others,  and  to  say,  "  I 
have  been  there  too,  and  I  know  what  I  say  and  why  I 
think."  I  long  again  for  a  Sunday  in  America.  Some- 
how nothing  has  seemed  like  our  American  Christian 
Lord's  Day  on  this  side  the  water.  And  I  long  my- 
self again  to  be  about  my  loved  and  chosen  work,  in 
some  parish;  to  do  good,  and  to  preach  the  blessed 
Gospel,  and  to  feel  that  I  am  useful,  working,  blessing 
others,  every  day  and  every  week.  I  sometimes  think 
I  would  not  have  resigned  my  Newark  charge  if  I  could 
have  at  all  foreseen  events.  But,  again,  the  hand  of  the 
Lord  was  in  it.  It  was  necessary  to  have  the  entire 
break-up.  .  .  .  Your  devoted  son, 

MATSON  MEIER-SMITH. 


182  LETTERS  FROM  EUROPE. 

To  Dr.  Dyer. 
COBLENTZ,  PRUSSIA,  Sunday,  July  23,  1871. 

MY  EVER  DEAR  DR.  DYER, —  Your  letter  to  me,  —  as 
well  as  those  to  Emily  and  Mrs.  Meier-Smith,  —  came 
speedily  to  England,  and  thence  followed  us  to  Bonn, 
where  it  was  as  cordial  and  meat  and  all  sorts  of  genial 
things.  It  did  us  good,  for  I  was  blue,  among  these 
chaps  who  can't  speak  English,  and  whose  guttural 
Deutsch  no  well-bred  American  can  be  supposed  to 
comprehend.  But  I  make  out.  By  my  patent-combina- 
tion language  of  Deutsch-French-English  and  the 
Symbolik,  and  that  used  by  the  deaf  and  dumb,  I  com- 
pel all  nations  to  understand  me.  I  wish  I  could 
compel  myself  to  understand  them  in  return. 

You  have  been  in  Coblentz,  I  believe.  We  have 
passed  several  days  in  this  "  Hotel  of  the  Giants,"  look- 
ing upon  the  Ehine  and  up  to  Ehrenbreitstein  opposite. 
By  the  way,  how  much  this  German  Fortress  looks  like 
Edinburgh  Castle.  I  am  having  my  first  taste  of  a 
genuine  Continental  Sunday.  In  Brussels,  last  Sunday 
was  not  unlike  that  in  any  American  city.  There  was 
less  racket  and  hawking  of  wares  than  in  London.  I 
saw  no  shops  open.  In  this  city  it  is  just  the  week 
day.  People  are  coming  and  going,  buying  and  selling, 
precisely  like  yesterday.  Yet  they  go  to  church  too. 
I  shall  have  more  faith  in  the  "  Sabbath  Committee's  " 
mission  one  of  these  days. 

It  is  a  good  work  that  the  English  Church  does,  in 
that  she  keeps  service  in  these  cities.  I  attended  ser- 
vice last  Sunday  on  the  Rue  Belliard,  in  Brussels, 
and  found  a  faithful  and  fervent  young  man  preach- 
ing the  Gospel.  This  morning  I  have  been  to  the 
English  Chapel  in  the  palace  of  the  Prussian  Queen 


LETTERS  FROM  EUROPE.  183 

(or  Empress),  and  found  it  good,  though  the  preacher 
was  more  legal  than  Evangelical,  more  of  John  Baptist 
style,  than  of  the  preacher  of  a  finished  Atonement, 
Adjoining  the  Church  of  England  chapel  in  the  palace, 
was  one  for  the  Lutheran  service  which  her  Majesty 
attends.  Talk  about  candles  and  crosses  and  ritualism! 
The  Lutherans  were  no  iconoclasts. 

After  I  wrote  you,  I  heard  some  better  preaching. 
For  one,  I  heard  Canon  Charles  Kingsley.  He  was 
preaching  for  the  times,  and  against  the  corrupters  of 
the  Eeformation  Doctrine.  From  the  good  old  Bishop 
of  Chester  I  heard  also  a  sweet,  good  sermon,  and  a  fair 
talk  from  the  Archbishop  of  York,  —  not  much  of  a  ser- 
mon, however. 

I  do  hope  there  won't  be  any  terrible  muss  at  the  Con- 
vention General.  What  can  be  gained  by  a  going  off? 

I  am  sorry  that  the  C affair  is  what  it  is.  But  I  am 

sure  a  C would  not,  mutatis  mutandis,  be  sustained 

in  the  Presbyterian  Church  to-day,  and  I  doubt  if  the 

C himself  could  be  ordained  in  the  Presbyterian 

Church,  if  he  held  no  more,  and  knew  no  more  on  the 
Baptism  question,  than  he  appears  to  hold  and  know  so 
conscientiously  to-day.  Give  him  years,  and  more  time 
for  thought  and  experience,  and  I  am  sure  he  would 
come  to  the  conclusion  that  the  Baptismal  ^Regeneration 
of  the  Prayer  Book  is  Scriptural  truth,  and  practically 
held  in  every  Christian  household ;  in  other  words,  that 
the  germ  of  the  highest  and  purest  Christian  life  is  al- 
ways, in  Old  Testament  and  New,  in  all  ages,  that  which 
springs  in  infancy,  which  is  then  implanted  by  a  Cove- 
nant God  and  Saviour,  and  which,  nourished,  —  amid 
many  vicissitudes  alas,  indeed,  and  sometimes  it  may  be 
blasted, —  brings  at  last  the  fulness  of  manhood  in  Christ. 
Oh,  if  only  our  Evangelical  brethren,  dear  and  beloved, 


184  LETTERS   FROM  EUROPE. 

would  spiritualize  what  is  fossilized  in  the  Church,  and 
use  with  power,  in  God's  name,  what  is  exhibited  like 
mere  crown  jewels  in  a  case  by  too  many  of  our  clergy, 
we  should  never  think  of  separation.  Fidelity  like  this 
I  am  persuaded  would  gain  the  day,  and  make  our 
Church  system  what  it  ought  to  be. 

I  say  most  earnestly,  use  the  Prayer  Book  as  it  is ; 
press  upon  the  hearts  and  consciences  of  our  people 
spiritually,  our  doctrine  of  baptism  and  its  obligations, 
of  the  Lord's  Supper  and  its  meaning  and  requisitions. 
Show  the  wonderful,  the  inexhaustible,  the  illimitable 
love,  peace,  and  resource  of  our  glorious  God  and  Saviour, 
and  demand  of  men  a  true,  devout,  and  consecrated 
churchliness  in  view  of  this,  —  and  this  will  be  more  to 
the  glory  of  God  and  the  salvation  of  men,  and  for 
Christian  unity,  than  all  the  squabbles  about  canons 
and  liberty  any  of  our  brethren  get  up. 

With  my  dear  love  to  my  brethren,  this  is  what  I 
think. 

Do  write  again  when  you  can.  My  wife  and  children 
join  me  in  warmest  love. 

Ever  and  ever  yours  in  Christ, 

MA.TSON  MEIER-SMITH. 


XIV. 

WOKK  KESUMED. 

ST.  LUKE'S,  PHILADELPHIA.  —  ST.  GEORGE'S,  NEW  YORK. 
1872. 

r  I  ^HE  homeward  voyage  was  made  in  October,  and 
J-  was  a  tedious  one  of  two  weeks'  length,  with  con- 
stant storms  and  adverse  winds.  The  change  of  plan 
which  shortened  the  proposed  vacation  of  eighteen  months 
to  less  than  half  of  that  time,  was  principally  owing  to 
the  enfeebled  condition  of  Dr.  Meier-Smith's  mother, 
who  appeared  to  be  rapidly  failing,  and  suffering  much 
from  the  fear  that  she  might  never  see  her  children  and 
grandchildren  again.  It  was  a  great  disappointment  to 
abandon  the  purpose  of  a  winter  in  Italy  and  Southern 
Germany,  but  there  was  much  cause  for  gratitude  in  the 
improved  health  of  the  invalids,  although  all  the  benefit 
anticipated  from  the  trip  was  not  realized. 

While  Dr.  Meier-Smith  was  greatly  invigorated  by 
the  entire  change  and  the  relief  from  professional  labor 
and  responsibilities,  he  did  not  feel  ready  to  assume  a 
parochial  charge  immediately,  preferring  a  temporary 
work  for  some  months  to  come. 

Amid  the  kindly  welcomes  from  friends,  there  were 
many  invitations  to  supply  vacancies,  and  there  were 
engagements  for  every  Sunday,  much  to  his  satisfaction  : 
for,  as  he  remarked,  "  after  six  months  of  fasting  he  was 
hungry  for  preaching." 


186  WORK  RESUMED. 

Bishop  Coxe  urged  him  to  come  to  Buffalo,  desiring 
him  to  take  the  rectorship  of  St.  John's  Church  in 
that  city,  and  he  visited  the  parish,  and  preached  there. 
After  his  return  to  New  York,  he  received  the  call, 
which  he  felt  compelled  to  decline,  fearing  that  the 
climate  would  be  too  severe  for  himself  and  his  family. 

In  February,  1872,  he  accepted  an  engagement  to 
take  charge  of  St.  Luke's  Church,  Philadelphia,  until 
after  Easter. 

The  work  in  this  large  and  important  parish  he  was 
willing  to  assume  temporarily,  while  not  ready  for  set- 
tlement, as  it  gave  him  an  introduction,  much  valued, 
to  social  and  church  life  in  Philadelphia. 

The  winter  and  spring  were  overshadowed  by  an 
epidemic  of  small-pox,  with  which  Philadelphia  was 
visited.  There  was  also  some  prevalence  of  the  same 
disease  in  New  York ;  and  in  March,  his  mother,  al- 
though an  invalid  and  confined  to  her  room,  was  at- 
tacked by  it,  and  died  after  a  very  short  illness.  The 
loss  of  this  beloved  mother  was  a  severe  bereave- 
ment to  her  devoted  son,  who,  although  called  to  her 
immediately,  did  not  reach  her  until  all  was  over.  Her 
sudden  death  under  such  unexpected  circumstances 
added  painfully  to  the  sorrow  of  this  affliction. 

The  engagement  at  St.  Luke's  Church  included  the 
charge  of  the  Lenten  services,  and  the  preparation  of 
the  Confirmation  class.  It  was  distinctly  understood 
that  Dr.  Meier-Smith  was  not  to  be  considered  a  candi- 
date for  the  vacant  rectorship.  There  were  circum- 
stances which,  in  his  own  view,  made  it  undesirable  for 
him  to  take  such  a  position  were  it  offered  to  him.  He 
preferred  a  less  conspicuous  work,  and  one  which  would 
allow  him  more  time  for  study  and  writing.  These 
considerations  made  his  work  at  St.  Luke's  an  indepen- 


WORK  RESUMED.  187 

dent  one.  He  made  many  very  warm  friends  in  the 
large  congregation,  attracted  equally  by  his  strong  and 
thoughtful  preaching,  and  the  frank  and  kindly  man- 
ner which  expressed  his  genuine  interest  in  all  to  whom 
he  ministered.  It  is  often  made  the  occasion  for  hum- 
orous comment,  that  the  good  people  of  Philadelphia 
are  disposed  to  receive  with  especial  cordiality  all  who, 
by  birth  or  tradition,  are  associated  with  the  early  his- 
tory of  the  city.  Dr.  Meier-Smith's  descent  from  the 
old  Lutheran  pastors,  Drs.  Muhlenberg  and  Kunze,  gave 
him  a  ready  entrance  to  some  of  the  best  social  circles. 
Before  the  term  of  his  engagement  closed,  there  were 
many  in  the  parish  who  were  anxious  to  retain  him 
permanently ;  but  he  gave  no  encouragement,  and  ac- 
cepted an  invitation  to  fill  the  place  of  the  Eev.  Dr. 
Tyng,  Eector  of  St.  George's  Church,  in  New  York,  dur- 
ing his  absence  in  Europe. 

Bishop  Howe,  the  former  Eector  of  St.  Luke's,  con- 
firmed a  class  of  nearly  fifty  at  the  close  of  Dr.  Meier- 
Smith's  work  there. 

The  duty  at  St.  George's  commenced  in  May.  Dr. 
Tyng  expected  to  be  absent  six  months,  but  returned  at 
the  close  of  the  summer.  The  position  as  assistant 
minister  of  the  parish  was  retained  until  November, 
though  he  officiated  in  several  other  places  during  the 
time.  The  summer  home  was  with  his  father,  at  New 
Eochelle. 

FROM  THE  "EECORD  OF  SERVICES." 

November,  1872. 

I  desire  to  put  on  record  in  these  pages  the  delight- 
ful and  affectionate  nature  of  my  intercourse  with  Dr. 
Tyng,  during  my  association  with  him  as  his  assistant 
and  temporary  substitute  at  St.  George's.  It  has  also 


188  WORK  RESUMED. 

been  a  very  profitable  relationship.  The  simple  minis- 
try of  the  ever-living  Jesus,  the  Friend,  the  High 
Priest,  the  Saviour,  and  the  continual  preaching  in 
great  simplicity  the  blessed  Gospel  of  faith  in  Him, 
as  the  comfort,  the  salvation,  and  the  inspiration  of  the 
soul,  are  blessings  which  cannot  be  too  highly  appre- 
ciated. I  have  found  Dr.  Tyng  unvaryingly  gentle, 
generous,  courteous,  loving,  and  worthy  my  high  regard 
and  love.  The  result  of  observation  and  of  mature  age 
is,  that  I  regard  preaching  as  more  and  more  a.  practical 
business.  It  must  be  made  to  do  something  with  men. 

May  I  have  wisdom  and  grace  more  than  ever 
before  —  and  the  gift  —  to  move  men  for  Christ,  and 
to  do  the  work  of  Jesus ! 

During  the  summer  of  this  year  calls  were  declined 
from  St.  John's  Church,  Ithaca,  New  York,  and  the 
Church  of  the  Ascension,  Staten  Island. 


XV. 

KECTOKSHIP  OF  ST.   JOHN'S  CHUKCH, 
HAKTFOKD. 

1872-1876. 

IN  October,  1872,  Dr.  Meier-Smith  accepted  a  call  to 
the  rectorship  of  St.  John's  Church,  Hartford,  Con- 
necticut. This  parish  had  for  its  first  Eector  the  Rev. 
A.  Cleveland  Coxe,  the  present  Bishop  of  Western  New 
York;  and  among  other  well-known  clergymen  who 
have  held  the  rectorship,  was  the  Eev.  Dr.  Washburn, 
so  long  Eector  of  Calvary  Church,  New  York. 

St.  John's  had  been  a  large  and  influential  parish, 
but  the  policy  of  multiplication  of  parishes  had  pre- 
vailed in  Hartford,  and  it  had  lost  much  of  its  strength. 
Dr.  Meier-Smith  was  strongly  urged  to  attempt  the 
work  of  restoring  the  church  to  its  former  position. 
Though  he  felt  very  doubtful  of  success  in  this  direc- 
tion, Hartford,  as  a  place  of  residence  and  as  a  field  of 
labor,  presented  many  attractions.  It  is  a  beautiful 
city,  and,  as  the  seat  of  Trinity  College,  is  a  centre  of 
churchly  and  literary  interest.  He  looked  forward  hope- 
fully to  opportunities  for  influence  among  the  students, 
his  solicitude  for  his  own  son  having  awakened  a  strong 
interest  in  all  young  men,  whom  he  regarded  henceforth 
as  having  a  peculiar  claim  upon  his  sympathy. 

Such  considerations  induced  him  to  accept  the  call, 
and  on  the  first  Sunday  in  Advent  he  assumed  the  rec- 
torship. In  consequence  of  very  inclement  weather 


190       ST.  JOHN'S  CHURCH,  HARTFORD. 

and  a  heavy  snow-storm,  the  congregations  were  small, 
and  this  entry  appears  in  the  " Eecord " :  "I  pray  that 
the  Lord  may  give  me  grace  to  do  a  good  work  to  the 
glory  of  His  Name,  notwithstanding  the  somewhat  dis- 
couraging aspects  of  the  beginning." 

The  members  of  St.  John's  parish  received  their  new 
Rector  with  affectionate  welcome,  and  the  friendly 
reception  everywhere  met  counterbalanced  the  first 
rather  chilling  impressions. 

Bishop  Williams  extended  a  cordial  greeting,  and 
was  ever  the  kindest  of  friends.  Dr.  Meier-Smith 
became  warmly  attached  to  him  while  in  Hartford. 
The  Bishop's  personal  attractiveness,  force  of  character, 
and  scholarly  attainments,  strongly  impressed  him,  as 
they  must  all  who  come  under  his  influence. 

The  winter  of  1872-73  was  exceptionally  cold  and 
damp,  and  Dr.  Meier-Smith  suffered  much  from  heavy 
colds  and  weakness  of  throat  The  church  was  often 
imperfectly  warmed,  with  the  result  of  smaller  congre- 
gations than  the  Rector  hoped  for,  and  no  little  dis- 
comfort to  himself.  He  was  somewhat  disheartened. 
"  Clearly,"  he  said,  "  it  is  not  my  forte  to  bring  up  a 
'run  down*  parish!"  He  was  the  last  man  to  claim 
gifts  suited  to  all  lines  of  work,  and  certainly  never 
over-estimated  his  ability  in  this  particular  direction. 
The  work  necessary  to  rapid  success  under  these  cir- 
cumstances was  not  altogether  congenial  to  him,  and  he 
doubted  whether  he  possessed  the  elements  necessary 
for  it ;  yet  to  be  otherwise  than  faithful  and  laborious 
in  every  recognized  duty  would  have  been  impossible 
for  him,  and  probably  he  was  more  successful  in  the 
eyes  of  others  than  in  his  own. 

When  the  services  of  Lent  commenced,  the  attend- 
ance upon  them  increased  so  rapidly  that  the  Rector 


ST.  JOHN'S  CHURCH,  HARTFORD.  191 

began  to  look  more  hopefully  upon  the  future.  At  the 
daily  service  from  eighty  to  one  hundred  were  always 
found,  a  large  attendance  in  proportion  to  the  Sunday 
congregations.  The  number  presented  at  the  first  Con- 
firmation gave  evidence  of  faithful  work.  Among  them 
were  those  who  said  that  the  Rector's  appeals  and  in- 
struction had  brought  them  to  a  decision,  weighed  for 
years  and  constantly  postponed.  The  Sunday-school 
had  dwindled  into  almost  nothing,  but  during  this  rec- 
torship new  life  was  imparted  to  it  by  his  efforts,  aided 
heartily  by  faithful  teachers.  A  Guild  was  formed, 
which  infused  enthusiasm  into  teachers  and  scholars, 
and  soon  quadrupled  the  number  in  attendance,  as  also 
the  offerings  of  the  children  for  missions.  The  much 
coveted  honor  of  admittance  into  the  "  Orders  of  the  Sil- 
ver and  the  Golden  Cross  "  will  never  be  forgotten  by  some 
who  were  then  young  parishioners  of  St.  John's.  The 
members  of  the  Sunday-school  were  made  to  feel  them- 
selves the  helpers  of  the  Rector.  The  school  met  before 
the  afternoon  service,  and  one  object  of  the  Guild  was 
to  secure  the  attendance  of  all  present  at  the  Even- 
ing Prayer,  which  followed.  A  youthful  choir  was 
formed,  aiding  the  quartette  as  a  chorus,  and  the  ser- 
mon was  short  and  simple.  The  older  people  were 
gratified  by  the  interest  of  the  children,  and  the  result 
was  a  "  live  Sunday-school "  and  a  full  church  in  place 
of  the  hitherto  much  neglected  "  Afternoon  Service." 

The  first  Confirmation  occurred  on  Good  Friday,  when 
seventeen  were  presented. 

Among  topics  of  sermons  written  during  this  year, 
these  are  noted,  —  "  Christian  Liberality  in  Offerings," 
"  Gifts  as  a  Part  of  Worship,"  and  "  The  Call  of  God 
for  Liberal  Response  to  Church  Missions." 

It  has  been  said  that  Dr.  Meier- Smith  was  an  ardent 


192  ST.  JOHN'S  CHURCH,  HARTFORD. 

advocate  of  the  work  of  Foreign  Missions.  The  fol- 
lowing article,  written  for  the  "  Churchman  "  while  in 
Hartford,  gives  some  of  his  often-pressed  arguments 
for  its  promotion  :  — 

"  That  Mr.  Max  Miiller  on  the  '  Day  of  Intercession,' 
in  Westminster  Abbey,  should  have  offered  a  suggestion 
to  the  effect  that  Christian  missionaries  change  their 
tactics,  and  begin  tinkering  Buddhism  and  Mohamme- 
danism into  more  earnest  life,  is,  to  our  mind,  one  of  the 
coolest  things  on  record.  We  wonder  that  the  hoary 
stones  within  those  venerable  walls  did  not  'immedi- 
ately cry  out.'  The  reported  sentiment  is,  unhappily, 
not  a  new  one.  It  was  very  far  from  being  one  of 
those  occasional  and  solitary  flashings  of  perverse  genius 
which  are  as  suddenly  extinguished  as  they  suddenly 
blaze  forth.  Unbelief  has  said  the  same  thing  a  great 
many  times.  And  it  is  to  be  feared  that  the  sentiment 
is  not  altogether  unfamiliar  even  at  Christian  firesides. 
There  is  certainly  a  most  appalling  apathy  concerning 
the  business  of  missions  to  heathen  lands.  Are  we 
wrong  in  attributing  the  indifference  in  part  at  least  to 
just  this  style  of  scepticism  which  cropped  out  so  forci- 
bly without  regard  to  the  proprieties  of  the  occasion  ? 
The  Foreign  Missionary  enterprise  is  pronounced  by  not 
a  few  a  Quixotic  scheme.  Men  who  give  this  as  their 
verdict  are  Christian  men.  They  bring  plausible  argu- 
ments and  stubborn  facts  to  the  support  of  their  position. 
They  draw  the  balance-sheet  between  the  expenditures 
and  the  results.  They  compute  the  sacrifice  of  health 
and  wealth,  of  life  and  energy,  through  eighteen  Chris- 
tian centuries.  They  quote  the  census  of  Paganism. 
Against  the  Christians  found  in  heathen  lands,  they 
offset  the  pagans  dwelling  in  Christian  lands.  There 


ST.  JOHN'S   CHURCH,   HARTFORD.  193 

are  as  many  Chinese  idolaters  in  the  United  States  to- 
day, we  hear,  as  there  are  Christian  worshippers  in 
China,  and  more  perhaps  than  there  are  converted 
heathen  in  China  and  India  together. 

"  They  review  the  intellectual  warfare  between  Chris- 
tianity and  philosophical  Paganism  which  is  going  on 
in  the  world,  and  tell  us  that  it  is  as  hotly  contested  in 
Britain  and  Germany  and  America,  as  in  India  itself. 
In  fact,  it  is  made  to  appear  a  matter  of  serious  doubt 
whether  Christianity  or  Paganism  is  making  the  more 
converts.  So  far  as  actual  idolatry  is  concerned, — 
which  is  the  worship  of  the  invisible  Deity  under  ma- 
terial forms  subsisting,  temporarily  or  permanently,  in 
sacred  places,  —  it  is  averred  that  this  is  quite  as  much 
a  feature  of  nominal  Christianity  as  of  Buddhism. 

"  There  may  be  other  explanations  of  the  indifference 
to  Foreign  Missionary  work,  and  various  other  excep- 
tions may  be  taken  to  the  service,  and  to  its  methods, 
as  the  Boards  of  the  Church  pursue  them.  But  this 
mode  of  argument  —  the  appeal  to  results  —  is  a  sum- 
mary process  which  the  rectors  of  our  parishes  have 
to  meet  with  a  frequency  which  is  painful,  if  not 
embarrassing. 

"  The  Epiphany  appeal  of  the  Foreign  Committee  of 
the  Board  of  Missions  suggests  one  form  of  judicious 
answer  to  this  practical  scepticism.  We  commend  it  to 
our  readers,  without  reproducing  it  here.  In  this  ap- 
peal, testimony  of  four  Indian  governors  is  cited  respect- 
ing the  results  of  missionary  labor  in  India.  Sir  Bartle 
Frere,  Governor  of  Bombay,  bears  strong  witness  to  the 
moral,  social,  and  political  effects  of  the  missionary  work 
among  the  intelligent  Hindoos  and  Mohammedans  of 
India.  To  the  temperate  language  of  the  appeal,  we 
might  add  some  words.  We  might  remind  those  who 
13 


194  ST.  JOHN'S   CHURCH,   HARTFORD. 

criticise  and  disparage  the  results  of  Foreign  Missions, 
that  they  themselves  are  among  those  results,  —  albeit, 
possibly,  amid  slippered  ease,  —  and  their  positive  un- 
belief on  this  question  not  the  ripest  nor  best-rounded 
fruit  thereof. 

"  Our  ancestors  were  heathen.  Britain  was  Foreign 
Missionary  ground  in  former  days.  Nineteen  centuries 
ago  —  however  insignificant  the  results  reached  by  these 
sagacious  accountants  —  there  was  not  a  square  foot  of 
earth  outside  Palestine  which  was  not  soil  of  heathenism. 

"  But  this  is  not  the  argument  we  prefer  in  urging 
the  great  duty  of  carrying  the  Gospel  to  the  heathen. 
With  results  of  missions,  whether  past  or  prospective, 
we  have  nothing  to  do.  They  are  entirely  apart  from 
the  question  of  the  Church's  duty,  or  the  personal  obli- 
gation of  every  Christian.  The  problem  of  the  Foreign 
Missionary  service  is  not,  in  our  understanding  of  it, 
simply  to  supplant  the  false  religions  of  the  world  by 
the  introduction  of  our  average  modern  Christianity, 
with  its  base  alloy  of  worldliness  and  unbelief.  Nor  is 
it  even  to  Christianize  heathen  nations,  in  the  true  sense 
of  the  term,  through  the  ordinary  agencies  and  instru- 
mentalities familiar  in  the  Church.  Doubtless,  we  are 
to  labor  and  pray  as  if  this  were  the  precise  consumma- 
tion to  be  reached.  This  is  our  bounden  duty,  and  the 
only  practical  method  of  any  service  whatever.  Above 
all  things,  we  are  not  to  fail  of  duty  in  this  direction, 
through  scepticism  about  results.  "Were  it  revealed  that 
such  a  consummation,  to  be  gained  by  present  agencies 
and  processes,  was  the  ultimate  of  the  Church's  ser- 
vice, it  would  be  a  sin  to  have  any  misgivings  about  it, 
or  to  look  for  an  iota  less  than  the  perfect  and  literal 
accomplishment. 

"The  problem  assigned  to  the  Church,  we  believe, 


ST.  JOHN'S  CHURCH,  HARTFORD.       195 

however,  to  be  an  entirely  different  one  from  this.  It 
is  a  problem  upon  which  all  the  light  vouchsafed  is 
that  which  radiates  from  the  seasons  of  Advent  and 
Epiphany.  We  pray,  as  our  Lord  taught  us  to  pray, 
'  Thy  Kingdom  come.'  That  kingdom,  as  we  read  His 
holy  words,  is  to  be  introduced  in  its  glory  upon  earth, 
with  entire  and  absolute  independence  of  all  human 
works,  and  the  times  and  seasons  of  human  adjust- 
ment. The  object  of  the  missionary  work,  the  object 
of  the  Apostolic  Commission  itself,  —  for  they  are  one 
and  the  same,  —  is  to  prepare  the  way  for  this.  .  The 
Gospel  is  to  be  preached  among  all  nations,  '  for  a  wit- 
ness.' From  among  all  nations  and  tribes  an  'elect' 
people  is  to  be  gathered,  —  to  be  a  waiting  Church, 
waiting  for  Him  who  is  always  'at  hand,'  NEAR,  and 
whose  EPIPHANY  shall  be  for  splendor,  as  for  sudden- 
ness, like  the  lightning  from  one  end  of  heaven  to  the 
other. 

"  Such  work  has  the  Lord  Christ  given  us  to  do.  His 
word  is  '  Occupy  —  until  I  come.'  This  His  work  must 
be  carried  on,  with  or  without  success,  regardless  of  ex- 
pense,—  whether  of  gold  or  of  life,  —  until  He  Himself, 
coming  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  with  holy  angels  and 
the  risen  saints,  summon  His  militant  Church  away 
from  the  warfare  to  the  '  exceeding  great  reward.'  Do 
we  hesitate  concerning  Foreign  Missions  ?  Are  we  be- 
lievers in  Christ,  or  are  we  Infidels  ? " 

Among  his  letters  of  this  period  was  one  to  a  friend 
who  purposed  going  upon  the  stage  :  — 

.  .  .  You  are  making  a  great  venture.  Some  of  your 
friends  feel  badly  about  it.  I  admit  that  I  wish  it  were 
in  some  other  line,  on  general  principles.  But  I  am  free 
to  say  to  you  and  anybody  else,  that  I  have  no  sympathy 


196       ST.  JOHN'S  CHURCH,  HARTFORD. 

with  those  who  consign  the  stage  and  its  company  to  a 
wholesale  and  unmitigated  perdition,  without  even 
Christian  burial.  I  recognize  in  the  drama  high  educa- 
tional and  moral  possibilities,  as,  in  the  personal  char- 
acter of  some  who  make  the  stage  a  profession,  the 
highest  and  noblest  qualities.  And  it  may  be  ignorance 
on  my  part  wholly  inexcusable,  nevertheless  I  fail  to 
see  why  one  may  not  assume  that  profession  with  true 
and  laudable  purpose,  as  any  other,  not  merely  for 
wealth  and  fame,  but  for  moral  and  benevolent  ends, 
and  be  faithful,  by  God's  help,  in  carrying  out  this  pur- 
pose. I  think  I  know  you  well  enough  to  say  that  you 
have  not  been  unmindful  of  this  consideration.  And 
yet  I  foresee  for  you  difficulties  and  obstacles,  neither 
few  nor  trivial,  to  the  realization  of  such  an  ideal.  I 
pray  that  you  may  have  wisdom  and  grace  to  surmount 

them.     In  the  good  long  ago,  my  dear ,  when  we 

were  boys  together,  we  had  a  Friend  and  Lord  to  whom 
we  were  wont  to  bring  our  affairs,  and  of  whom  to  seek 
the  wisdom  and  grace  we  needed  as  little  fellows,  in 
our  boyhood's  battles  and  endeavors.  That  good  Friend 
and  Saviour  has  not  deserted  us,  neither  you  nor  me. 
We  have  been  led  in  different  paths,  but  with  all  our 
errors  and  imperfections  —  and  it  is  with  an  unfeigned 
hand  that  I  write  our,  meaning  my  own  —  He  is  still 
our  unchanged  and  unchanging  Lord  and  Friend.  The 
Man,  but  such  a  man !  The  "  Christus  Consolator  et 
Adjuvator."  Yet  more,  the  God- Man  '  As  I  grow  older 
He  is  more  to  me,  in  my  increasing  manhood  and  ca- 
pacity and  need.  May  I  hope  you  find  Him  so  to  you, 
led  around  and  tried  as  you  have  been.  And  whether 
on  the  stage,  or  elsewhere,  I  pray  that  the  thought  to 
serve  and  honor  Him  may  ever  be  a  controlling  thought 
with  you,  while  "  to  your  own  Master  you  stand  or 


ST.  JOHN'S  CHURCH,   HARTFORD.  197 

fall,"  however  and  whatever  others  may  "judge."  I 
fervently  wish  you  all  success  that  may  be  for  your 
highest  good ;  this  I  pray  and  trust  you  will  have.  I 
want  more  for  you  than  even  our  old  friendship  per- 
haps warrants  me  in  expressing.  But  anyhow  and 
under  all  circumstances  your  friend  of  a  lifetime, 
heartily  and  truly, 

M.  M.-S. 

While  the  period  of  the  Hartford  rectorship  was  a 
quiet  and  uneventful  one  so  far  as  his  own  parish  was 
concerned,  it  was  a  time  of  lively  interest  and  vigorous 
discussion  in  the  Church  at  large.  Occurrences  in  con- 
nection with  the  meetings  of  the  Evangelical  Alliance, 
in  New  York,  in  1873,  were  the  ostensible  causes  of  re- 
newed agitation  by  radical  men  of  the  Evangelical 
school.  They  had  been  laboring  long  to  secure  conces- 
sions from  the  Church  to  their  own  views,  and  especially 
to  alterations  in  the  Prayer  Book.  The  course  taken 
by  Bishop  Cummins  resulted,  as  some  who  read  these 
pages  will  recall,  in  bringing  out  intense  feeling  among 
Churchmen  of  all  shades  of  opinion,  and  in  directing 
the  eyes  of  all  Christian  people  to  our  Communion. 

The  extracts  which  follow  are  from  a  characteristic 
letter  to  Dr.  Dyer.  It  was  written  just  after  the 
"  Cummins  defection,"  which  resulted  in  the  establish- 
ment of  the  Eeformed  Episcopal  Church  :  — 

...  I  don't  feel  half  as  much  like  "Evangelical 
Alliance"  as  I  did  a  few  weeks  ago.  .  .  . 

.  .  .  The  tone  of  much  of  the  sectarian  press  is  any- 
thing but  Christian  and  charitable.  They  talk  sensibly 
enough  of  "  Cumminsism,"  and  its  baselessness,  but  they 
show  exhilaration  at  the  chance  of  poking  their  fingers 
under  our  ribs.  They  know  better.  They  know  that 


198      ST.  JOHN'S  CHURCH,  HARTFORD. 

Ritualism  for  doctrine  is  not  our  characteristic.  They 
know  that  the  Church  holds  Justification  by  Faith  only, 
—  not  by  feeling  as  with  some  of  them,  —  and  that  we 
don't  talk  of  "  sacrifice,"  "  priest,"  and  "  altar "  in  any 
sense  wherein  Presbyterians  and  Congregationalists  forty 
years  ago  would  not  have  indorsed  the  sentiment ;  nor 
in  any  sense  which  their  average,  unaltered  standards 
do  not  now  indorse,  and  yet  they  assert  that  we  poor 
Episcopalians  mean  everything  in  the  Romish  sense,  or 
ought  to.  ... 

Blessed  and  dear  old  Saint  Stephen  of  St.  George's.1 
How  grandly  he  spoke  the  truth  pro  Christo  et  Ec- 
clesia  !  I  wanted  to  go  down  and  put  my  arms  around 
his  neck,  and  hug  him  as  a  son  a  father.  And  what 
an  inspiration  was  Bishop  Alfred  Lee's  open  letter  to 
George  David,2  and  with  what  golden  sentences  it 
ended  !  Inter  nos,  I  have  sent  two  editorials  to  the 
"  Churchman  "  lately,  "  Unity,  Unity,  Unity,"  and  "  In- 
tolerance." I  was  requested  to  give  something  which 
outsiders  could  comprehend.  Criticisms  are  in  or- 
der. .  .  .  Did  Cummins  talk  at  random  when  he  made 
the  allusion  supposed  to  be  to  Dr.  Muhlenberg?  I 
fancy  I  hear  my  venerable  cousin  smack  those  ex- 
pressive lips  of  his,  and  in  deep  guttural  say,  "  Bah  !  " 
The  stir-up  has  done  good  here.  Connecticut  men  say 
that  it  brings  us  all  closer,  as  it  shows  stronger  love 
of  Church  principles  on  all  sides.  I  have  talked  with 
the  most  conspicuous  Baptist,  and  the  most  conspicu- 
ous Congregational  clergymen  here,  and  find  that 
neither  have  the  slightest  sympathy  with  the  Cum- 
mins proceeding,  from  its  first  fence-jumping  to  its 
final  secession. 

*  Dr.  Stephen  H.  Tyng.  «  Bishop  Geo.  David  Cummins. 


ST.  JOHN'S  CHURCH,  HARTFORD.       199 

One  of  the  published  articles  alluded  to  in  the  fore- 
going letter  is  given  here,  as  clearly  expressing  his 
sentiments  on  a  subject  of  so  much  discussion  at  the 
time. 

UNITY,  UNITY,  UNITY! 

Now  that  the  various  journals,  religious  and  secular, 
have  had  their  "  say  "  about  the  Evangelical  Alliance, 
and  as  well  concerning  those  whose  honest  convictions 
were  adverse  to  some  of  its  ideas,  we  have  a  fact  to 
state  which  we  wish  our  brethren  of  various  Christian 
affiliations  would  accept  in  good  faith.  We  desire  this 
as  a  simple  matter  of  justice  and  truth.  It  is  a  matter 
we  wish  to  have  understood,  whether  it  be  appreciated 
or  not. 

The  fact  is  this.  The  Protestant  Episcopal  Church 
entertains  an  unfeigned  and  most  lively  interest  in  all 
signs  of  the  times  which  indicate  approach  to  closer 
union  among  Christian  people,  and  in  everything  which 
may  fitly  express  the  unity  pertaining  to  followers  of 
our  Blessed  Lord.  Such,  we  are  well  aware,  is  not  the 
popular  impression,  but  precisely  the  contrary.  Yet 
we  believe  the  fact  to  be  as  we  have  stated  it. 

Another  thing  is  true.  The  fact  stated  is  not,  as 
some  may  aver,  in  spite  of  the  peculiar  principles  of  the 
Church,  but  a  fact  which  grows  out  from  these  princi- 
ples, — the  very  principles  which  are  vulgarly  called  "ex- 
clusive," and  associated,  like  the  phrase  "  High  Church," 
in  many  minds  with  narrowness  and  bigotry. 

We  do  not  propose  to  argue  this  point  at  length  just 
now.  But  for  its  bearing  upon  the  fact  we  have  stated, 
it  is  sufficient  to  say,  we  are  broad  enough  to  recognize 
all  the  unity  which  exists,  and  to  thank  God  for  it.  We 
believe  that  the  Son  of  God  organized  and  equipped  a 


200       ST.  JOHN'S  CHURCH,  HARTFORD. 

society,  —  an  Ecclesia,  a  Church,  —  which  organization 
is  Scripturally  called  the  Body  of  Christ.  Christ  is  the 
Head  of  this  Body.  In  this  organization  He  dwells  by 
His  Spirit,  the  Vitalizing  Force.  He  Himself  uses  the 
figure  of  the  vine  and  its  branches  to  illustrate  His  re- 
lation to  His  people.  The  life-sap  from  Him,  the  True 
Vine,  flows  in  all  the  branches,  imparting  life  and  vigor 
to  every  twig  or  tendril,  and  producing  in  their  full 
rounded  beauty  the  rich  and  luscious  clusters  of  all 
Christian  fruit.  In  the  completeness  of  this  organic 
unity  are  —  the  Faith,  once  (and  once  for  all)  delivered 
to  the  Saints ;  the  Sacraments ;  and  the  Apostolic  Min- 
istry, called  into  being,  ordered,  sent,  in  due  procession 
by  Himself  the  Head,  His  accredited  agents,  —  their 
duties  assigned,  their  instructions  ample,  their  limita- 
tions definite. 

This  organic  unity  —  that  of  the  Church,  the  Body  of 
Christ  —  is,  moreover,  indestructible. 

Now,  this  statement  of  doctrine  is  not  an  unchurch- 
ing form  of  words.  It  is  not  at  all  necessary  for  us  to 
say  that  they  who,  amid  the  convulsions  of  the  Reforma- 
tion period,  were  separated  from  the  Apostolic  order, 
yet  retained  the  faith  as  best  they  might,  were  sundered 
by  that  separation  from  the  Body  into  which  they  had 
been  baptized.  It  requires  something  more  than  invol- 
untary error  to  separate  from  Christ.  No  more  is  it 
necessary  for  us  to  make  such  affirmation  respecting  the 
spiritual  progeny  of  those  Continental  Protestant  disci- 
ples, in  whom  the  life  which  flows  from  Christ  mani- 
fests itself  by  abundant  fruits  of  the  Spirit.  Nor  do  we 
make  any  such  affirmation.  Nor  does  any  conclusion 
to  this  effect  follow  from  Church  principles  or  premises. 
That  all  baptized  Christians  pertain  to  the  substance  of 
Christ's  body,  we  unhesitatingly  admit  and  proclaim  ; 


ST.  JOHN'S  CHURCH,  HARTFORD.       201 

and  this  is  perfectly  consistent  with  the  statement  that 
the  relations  of  some  in  this  number  to  the  Body  in  its 
completeness,  are  similar  to  the  relations  subsisting  be- 
tween a  vine  and  certain  branches  which  are  partially 
detached.  Partial  detachment  is  the  principal  fact  of 
sectarianism.  The  evils  of  sectarianism  are  but  morbid 
growths  from  this  anomalous  relation. 

Now,  the  claim  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church 
is  not  to  be  exclusively  the  Body  of  Christ  in  this 
laud,  but  to  represent  in  completeness  of  organization 
and  historical  continuity  that  organic  unity  which  the 
Lord  founded  when  He  founded  the  visible  society,  the 
Church.  This  claim,  we  believe,  can  be  made  good 
alike  against  Rome  and  the  Protestant  bodies  which  are 
destitute  of  Apostolic  orders. 

To  preserve  the  features  of  this  organic  unity  in  their 
completeness,  and  with  them  certain  benefits  not  of  the 
essence  of  the  unity,  —  for  example,  such  as  the  sacra- 
mental liturgy,  —  we  hold  to  be  our  sacred  trust.  As 
among  Christian  denominations,  we  might  say  that  this 
was  for  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  in  the  United 
States  a  raison  d'etre. 

By  reason  of  these  principles,  accordingly,  as  we  have 
already  said,  Churchmen  must  take  a  lively  interest  in 
whatever  seems  to  move  their  separated  brethren  toward 
the  contemplation  of  organic  unity,  and  the  best  meth- 
ods whereby  to  express  their  conviction  of  it.  We  have 
no  denominational  pride  to  be  considered  in  the  matter ; 
but  we  have  the  most  entire  confidence  that,  the  organic 
unity  fairly  comprehended,  return  to  the  historic  Church 
will  be  only  a  question  of  days.  It  will  be  a  time  for 
mutual  congratulation  when  the  modern  latitudinarian- 
ism,  "Ye  are  of  one  spirit,  no  matter  of  how  many 
bodies,"  shall  give  place,  and  the  solemn  pleading  of  the 


202  ST.  JOHN'S  CHURCH,  HARTFORD. 

Holy  Ghost  be  everywhere  heard,  urging  spiritual  unity 
upon  the  ground,  first,  of  the  "  one  Body." 

An  affirmation  respecting  the  temper  and  tone  of  our 
clergy  and  laity  in  this  matter  of  kindly  interest  may 
count  for  what  it  is  worth.  We  believe  there  are  very 
few  who  will  not  subscribe  to  the  spirit  of  this  article. 
We  are  confident  there  is  neither  priest  nor  layman 
within  the  comprehension  of  the  Church  who  would 
fail  to  recognize,  with  devout  gratitude  and  Christian 
love,  those  lineaments  of  pious  life  and  holy  faith  which 
mark  the  Family  of  our  blessed  Lord,  no  matter  where 
found  or  in  whom.  Our  rules  of  order  may  be  rigid. 
In  the  popular  apprehension  we  may  be  exclusive  in  our 
ways.  But  there  must  be  rigid  rule  and  exclusiveness 
after  a  sort,  in  the  faithful  custody  of  any  important 
trust  But  we  are  not  for  this  the  less  disposed  to  say, 
"Grace  be  with  all  them  who  love  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ." 

And  our  desire  for  the  unity  of  all  Christians  in  the 
completeness  of  Church  organization  —  for  we  have  re- 
peatedly expressed  our  lack  of  faith  in  any  union  less 
than  this  —  is  unfeigned  and  absorbing.  The  very 
extreme  attitudes  which  appear  in  individual  illustra- 
tions, seeking  affiliations  with  non-Episcopalians  on  the 
one  side,  and  with  Rome,  or,  some  will  say,  Oriental 
Churches,  on  the  other,  are  but  anomalous  expressions 
of  this  consuming  fire  of  catholic  love.  It  is  no  mere 
formality  that  on  bended  knees  we  say  daily  unto  God, 
"  We  pray  for  Thy  Holy  Church  Universal ;  that  it  may 
be  so  guided  and  governed  by  Thy  good  Spirit,  that  all 
who  profess  and  call  themselves  Christians  may  be  led  in- 
to the  way  of  truth,  and  hold  the  faith  in  unity  of  spirit, 
in  the  bond  of  peace,  and  in  righteousness  of  life." 


ST.  JOHN'S  CHURCH,   HARTFORD.  203 

The  extract  which  follows  is  from  the  latter  half  of 
the  paper  on  Intolerance  :  — 

"  Now,  concerning  this  word  intolerance,  which  is  our 
text,  there  might  as  well  be  an  understanding.  There 
is  a  vulgar  impression  that  it  sums  up  all  ecclesiastical 
villany.  It  is  a  very  common  word,  —  when  men  wish 
to  speak  opprobriously  respecting  something  they  dis- 
like, but  are  powerless  to  change.  But  we  hold  that  as 
there  is  such  a  thing  as  a  '  toleration '  which  is  consum- 
mate abomination,  so  is  there  an  '  intolerance '  which 
is  highest  virtue.  There  is  an  intolerance  which  is  the 
strongest  safeguard  of  social  purity  and  peace.  There 
is  an  intolerance  without  which  no  man's  home  or  life 
would  be  secure  for  a  day.  Law  involves  intolerance. 
Government  involves  intolerance.  Law  and  order  pass 
away  the  instant  there  is  anything  less  than  absolute 
intolerance  of  all  breaches  or  infractions  of  the  same 
whatsoever,  —  even  the  least.  The  Church  is  in  this 
sense  intolerant.  What  is  not  forbidden  by  her  law, 
she  endures,  even  though  it  be  foreign  to  her  spirit  or 
opposite  to  her  tastes.  What  is  forbidden  by  her  law, 
she  tolerates  not  for  a  moment, —  though  her  judg- 
ment be  pronounced  slowly,  and  after,  it  may  be,  too 
protracted  deliberation. 

"Are  other  denominations  of  Christians  less  intolerant 
than  the  Church  ?  Or  are  they  prompt  to  assert  their 
denominational  principles  when  occasion  may  arise  ? 
Should  the  whole  House  of  Bishops  propose  some  time, 
with  a  charity  transcending  even  the  amplitude  of  the 
Evangelical  Alliance,  to  commune  with  our  Baptist 
friends  in  expressions  of  '  love,'  —  would  they  be  ad- 
mitted even  to  such  an  affiliative  banquet  with  dry 
vestments  and  dry-shod  ?  Our  Presbyterian  brethren 


204       ST.  JOHN'S  CHURCH,  HARTFORD. 

subscribe  to  a  confession  of  faith  which  affirms  that 
'  Neither  Baptism  nor  the  Lord's  Supper  may  be  dis- 
pensed by  any  but  by  a  minister  of  the  word  lawfully 
ordained.'  Are  these  brethren  so  far  from  intolerance 
that  they  would  suffer  the  Quaker  Mrs.  Smith  or  Mrs. 
Smiley  to  administer  a  sacrament  in  their  churches,  or 
receive  one  at  the  fair  hands  of  either  of  these  irre- 
proachable '  Sisters '  from  among  the  '  Friends,'  —  or, 
as  some  would  say,  'The  Quaker  Church'? 

"  The  Church  we  love,  and  to  which,  thank  God,  we 
belong,  is  intolerant,  —  not  of  human  error,  for  so  was 
not  her  divine  Master ;  not  of  human  infirmity  or  de- 
fect, for  the  time  is  not  yet  when  there  shall  be  '  neither 
spot  nor  wrinkle  nor  any  such  thing,'  but  intolerant 
of  every  attempt  to  pervert  or  impair  the  order  which 
Christ  has  appointed,  and  the  doctrine  of  Christ  as  she 
has  received  the  same.  To  the  Apostolic  Ministry  in 
continuous  succession,  and  in  three  Orders  of  Bishops, 
Presbyters,  and  Deacons,  and  to  the  two  Sacraments, 
in  all  the  Scriptural  and  primitive,  as  well  as  Catholic 
richness  of  their  significance,  she  is  irrevocably  pledged. 
Touching  these,  she  cannot  waver.  She  may  be  maligned 
and  abused  for  her  fidelity  to  these.  She  may  be  per- 
secuted and  accounted  the  ofi'scouring  of  all  things  for 
these.  But  if  she  remains  upon  the  earth,  she  will 
upon  this  continent  welcome  the  advent  of  her  Lord 
and  Head,  holding  fast  these  things  'once  delivered.' 
This  is  her  intolerance." 

In  the  same  year  he  wrote  to  Dr.  Dyer :  "  Hartford 
folk  are  nice  people.  So  are  the  clergy.  My  particular 
folks  are  aesthetically  highish,  but  they  love  the  simple 
Gospel.  So  that  suits  me,  and  I  am  having  a  good 
time." 


ST.  JOHN'S  CHURCH,   HARTFORD.  205 

Clergymen  of  marked  culture  and  ability  were  pastors 
of  non-Episcopal  churches  in  Hartford,  and  he  enjoyed 
their  society  none  the  less  that  he  had  once  belonged  to 
their  own  ranks. 

With  the  Faculty  of  Trinity  College,  especially  with 
Professors  Johnson  and  Hart,  warm  friendships,  much 
prized,  were  formed.  With  them  there  was  the  full 
accord  in  theological  views,  and  in  Church  position, 
most  desirable  at  this  time,  as  the  contest  grew  in 
strength  and  bitterness  through  the  open  division  in 
Church  ranks.  The  result  of  all  the  excitement  was  to 
bring  into  deeper  sympathy  and  closer  union  all  who 
loved  the  Church  more  than  any  party  in  it.  Probably 
no  better  time  could  have  been  chosen  to  institute  the 
Church  Congress,  which  was  founded  during  Dr.  Meier- 
Smith's  residence  in  Hartford.  He  was  among  the  num- 
ber who  met  informally  in  New  Haven,  in  the  spring  of 
1874,  to  confer  with  reference  to  such  an  organization. 
The  outcome  of  this  conference  was  the  first  Church 
Congress,  which  met  in  New  York  in  the  ensuing  Octo- 
ber. Among  the  topics  of  discussion  one  was,  "  The 
Eelation  of  the  Church  to  other  Christian  Bodies,"  and 
another  was,  "  Mutual  Christian  Obligations  of  Capital 
and  Labor." 

The  keynote  which  has  never  been  lost  seemed  to  be 
struck  at  the  outset.  The  Church  Congress  has  proved 
that  Episcopal  clergymen  are  ready  to  meet  the  questions 
of  the  day,  in  spite  of  the  impression  of  those  who  have 
supposed  them  to  be  only  concerned  on  matters  of  Order 
and  Ritual.  As  a  centre  of  union  and  of  powerful  in- 
fluence on  the  thought  and  progress  of  the  Church,  Dr. 
Meier-Smith  regarded  its  annual  meetings  as  of  great 
importance,  regretting  that  he  was  so  seldom  able  to 
attend  them,  through  pressure  of  engagements.  With 


206  ST.  JOHN'S  CHURCH,  HARTFORD. 

everything  which  promoted  Christian  Union  and  Church 
Unity,  he  was  in  hearty  sympathy.  Breadth  of  thought, 
with  its  full  expression,  grew  more  necessary  to  him 
and  characteristic  of  him,  as  he  advanced  in  years. 

In  February,  1875,  he  visited  Newark,  and  preached 
two  sermons,  by  special  invitation,  in  Trinity  Church. 
Dr.  Nicholson,  his  successor  in  that  rectorship,  had 
recently  made  public  his  sympathy  with  the  seceding 
brethren,  and  his  intention  of  joining  the  new  organiza- 
tion. The  Baptismal  Office  and  the  Ordinal  were  the 
points  upon  which  he  founded  his  defection. 

A  letter  from  a  Vestryman  of  Trinity,  conveying  the 
request  to  preach  two  sermons  in  reply  to  Dr.  Nichol- 
son, contains  this  sentence :  — 

"  I  regard  you  as  altogether  the  best  informed  and  ablest 
theologian  who  has  been  with  us  in  Newark.  Judicious  ex- 
position of  theology  seemed,  me  jtidice,  to  be  your  forte.  I 
remember  to  have  been  much  struck  with  your  sermon  on 
Baptism.  Besides,  you  came  from  a  Calvinistic  denomina- 
tion, and  are  well  posted  on  their  views,  and  on  those  of 
kindred  sects." 

In  June  of  the  same  year,  he  preached  the  Convention 
sermon  in  New  Haven. 

When  Dr.  Meier-Smith  assumed  the  rectorship  of  St. 
John's,  he  was  not  without  hope  that  the  parish  might 
regain  its  former  strength  and  influence.  Though  this 
hope  was  but  partially  realized,  he  had  no  reason  to 
feel  that  his  work  was  an  unfruitful  one,  as  much  ad- 
vance was  made  on  previous  years.  The  standard  of 
religious  life  was  raised  by  his  faithful  and  earnest 
preaching;  congregations  greatly  increased,  and  large 
Confirmation  classes  were  presented.  But  he  labored 
under  many  discouragements,  especially  in  regard  to 


ST.  JOHN'S  CHURCH,  HARTFORD.       207 

the  financial  matters  of  the  parish,  which  induced  him 
to  consider  favorably  suggestions  made  to  him,  in  the 
third  year  of  his  rectorship,  to  become  a  candidate  for 
the  vacant  Chair  of  Horniletics  in  the  Divinity  School 
of  Philadelphia. 

Eespecting  these  propositions  he  wrote  to  Dr.  Dyer: 
"...  The  notion  about  the  professorship  has  been, 
from   various   sources,    dinging  at  me  for  some  time. 

W suggested  it  to  me  first  last  winter,  I  think. 

You  know  he  once  had  an  idea  of  getting  me  into  Gam- 
bier  when  I  was  in  transitu.  I  know  enough  of  myself 
to  know  that  I  can  teach ;  and  I  have  found  out  that  I 
can  influence  young  men.  And  if  I  were  really  compe- 
tent for  the  place,  — and  I  could,  I  think,  fit  myself  for 
it  easily,  —  I  should  enjoy  the  work  most  thoroughly." 
There  was  a  growing  consciousness  in  his  mind  that 
the  pastoral  work  which  he  loved  so  dearly,  he  could 
never  again  hope  to  carry  on  with  the  vigor  and  enthu- 
siasm of  earlier  years.  His  physical  strength  had  been 
somewhat  impaired  for  several  years,  during  which 
time,  his  devotion  to  and  sympathy  with  the  invalid 
members  of  his  household  had  caused  a  great  nerve 
strain.  A  work  free  from  the  excitements  and  respon- 
sibilities of  a  rector's  life  looked  inviting  to  him,  es- 
pecially as  it  was  in  the  line  of  study  he  most  loved, 
and  one  which  would  bring  young  men  under  his  in- 
fluence. Yet  he  would  not  have  given  the  subject  any 
serious  consideration  had  he  believed  that  his  best  loved 
work,  preaching  the  Gospel  of  our  blessed  Lord,  would 
have  to  be  abandoned.  Nor,  indeed,  had  he  contem- 
plated less  work,  upon  which  point  he  expressed  him- 
self decidedly  in  a  letter  to  Dr.  Dyer :  " .  .  .  Don't  let 
anybody  suppose  I  seek  a  '  dignified  retirement  from  ac- 
tive work.'  I  am  not  prepared  to  become  a  trilobite  or 


208       ST.  JOHN'S  CHURCH,  HARTFORD. 

any  other  fossil  yet.  Let  the  Lord  order.  I  wish  I 
were  always  as  willing  in  everything  to  say  this ;  for 
beyond  the  question  of  the  most  usefulness,  I  care  noth- 
ing personally  about  this  particular  thing.  If  it  had 
not  been  said  to  me  a  good  many  times  that  I  was  cut 
out  for  this  sort  of  business,  and  that  my  friends  might 
as  well  find  it  out,  I  would  not  have  alluded  to  the 
vacant  professorship." 

To  Dr.  Dyer,  in  September,  1875,  he  wrote  :  "...  This 
is  a  case  in  which  more  than  ordinarily  I  take  pleasure 
in  thinking  that  all  is  in  the  hands  of  the  Lord  who 
knows  what  is  for  my  good,  and  for  the  good  of  His 
work.  The  chief  personal  solicitude  I  have  in  the  mat- 
ter is  on  my  wife's  account.  If  I  could  shake  the  idea 
out  of  her  little  pate,  of  her  responsibility  for  all  the 
woman's  work  in  the  parish,  I  should  not  care  half  a 
peck  about  the  question.  On  the  other  hand,  I  say  as 
frankly  that  I  regard  the  work  of  such  a  teacher  as 
among  the  highest  works,  and  should  enter  upon  it,  if 
the  way  were  pointed  out  clearly,  with  the  strongest 
convictions.  I  have  a  letter  this  morning  inclosing  one 
from  W wherein  is  this  sentence :  '  What  very  ex- 
act theologian  can  speak  of  the  extent  of  your  friend's 
Broad  Church  tendencies  ? '  He  does  n't  know,  neither 
do  I.  I  will  trust  you  to  defend  me  against  charges  of 
heterodoxy.  My  '  Broad '  is  not  Colensoish,  nor  the 
lack  of  positive  convictions.  I  say  'Credo'  and  I 
mean  it.  While  I  can  keep  good  temper  with  those  who 
are  of  the  other  part,  I  am  in  spiritual  sympathy  with 
the  earnest  Christian  believers  and  workers  who  hold 
the  faith  as  Evangelical  Protestant  Christians  hold  it, 
and  with  such  only ;  and  my  '  Broad '  lies  in  two  facts, — 
first,  I  don't  care  two  pop-corns  whether  the  chap  next 
me  spells  it  shibboleth  or  sibboleth  ;  secondly,  while  I 


ST.  JOHN'S   CHURCH,   HARTFORD.  209 

hold  very  decided  views  of  Church  Orders,  I  like  a  good 
hand-shake,  every  now  and  then,  with  all  who  love  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  with  the  entirety  of  the  flock  of  our 
Blessed  Lord.  ...  By  the  way,  how  much  it  is  the 
fact  that  theological  sides  taken  are  as  much  matters  of 
temperament  as  anything  else.  I  have  seen  a  despon- 
dent, pre-doomed,  reprobated  Calvinist,  of  the  ultra- 
marinest  blue,  converted  into  a  light-hearted,  loving 
fellow,  ready  to  hug  the  Arminian  brother,  within  fif- 
teen minutes,  —  the  means  of  conversion  being  a  dish 
of  Saddle-Kocks  on  the  half-shell,  and  a  toby  of  Bass's 
Pale  East  India.  .  .  .  Now  my  matters  I  leave  with 
the  Overseers  of  the  School,  and  with  the  Lord,  with  no 
anxiety  about  the  result.  I  want  to  have  my  work 
and  years  and  record,  if  the  Lord  will,  among  the  broad 
and  evangelical  men  in  the  Church,  and  not  among 
'high  and  dry/  —  'High'  and  'Low'  are  words  I  care 
not  for,  if  I  can  see  the  devout  Christian,  full  of  faith 
and  good  works,  and  the  sympathetic  helper  in  bringing 
men,  women,  and  children  to  the  dear  Lord." 

Late  in  the  autumn  of  1875,  Dr.  Meier-Smith  was 
elected  to  the  Chair  of  Homiletics  and  Pastoral  Care 
in  the  "Divinity  School  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
Church,  in  Philadelphia."  When  his  name  was  brought 
before  the  Boards,  objection  was  made  by  a  member  of 
the  Board  of  Overseers,  that  he  had  heard  that  the 
candidate  was  not  orthodox  on  the  doctrine  of  future 
punishment.  Bishop  Lee  wrote  to  him  telling  him  of 
the  objection,  saying,  "  It  is  stated  that  you  hold  the 
views  commonly  known  as  those  of  the  Restorationists." 

The  reply  was  as  follows :  — 

HARTFORD,  December  2,  1875. 

MY  DEAR  BISHOP  LEE,  — ...  I  don't  know  whether  I 
am  orthodox  or  not,  in  the  opinion  of  the  man  who 
H 


210       ST.  JOHN'S  CHURCH,  HARTFORD. 

started  the  nonsense,  on  this  point  or  any  other.  I  did 
not  stop  my  thinking  when  I  left  the  Theological  Semi- 
nary ;  but  I  certainly  have  never  taught  nor  do  I 
hold  either  a  Restorationist  or  Universalist  theology. 
Nor  am  I  aware  that  I  hold  anything  inconsistent  either 
with  the  recognized  position  of  our  Church  on  the  ques- 
tion of  future  punishment,  or  maintain  any  different 
attitude  respecting  the  fearful  facts  revealed,  from  that 
maintained  by  leading  evangelical  thinkers  among  our 
own  clergy,  and  those  of  other  educated  denominations. 
I  accept,  heartily  and  simply,  every  word  of  our  Blessed 
Lord  and  all  teaching  of  Scripture.  But  I  recognize  in 
these  holy  words,  heights  and  depths  of  mystery  and 
meaning  unmeasured  yet,  if  not  unmeasurable.  I  am, 
my  dear  Bishop,  with  highest  regard  and  loving  thanks, 
Faithfully  yours, 

MATSON  MEIER-SMITH. 

His  decision  to  accept  this  appointment  was  com- 
municated to  his  Vestry,  with  his  resignation  of  the 
rectorship.  The  acceptance  of  his  resignation  was  ac- 
companied with  affectionate  expressions  of  regard,  and 
of  regret  in  parting  with  the  Rector.  The  Vestry  re- 
quested him  to  continue  in  charge  of  the  parish  until 
after  Easter,  which  he  consented  to  do,  with  the  under- 
standing that  early  in  the  year  he  should  commence,  in 
part,  his  duties  in  Philadelphia,  and  must  be  relieved  of 
much  of  the  pastoral  work. 

The  Christmas  Festival  of  the  Sunday-school  was 
made  the  occasion  of  many  warm  tributes  to  the  retir- 
ing Rector,  who  had  made  for  himself  a  strong  place  in 
the  affections  of  the  younger  portion  of  his  congrega- 
tion, and  their  parents  and  teachers.  "  No  one  has 
ever  done  so  much  for  our  young  people,"  said  one  and 


ST.  JOHN'S  CHURCH,   HARTFORD.  211 

another,  as  they  greeted  him  tenderly.  The  charm  of 
his  warm  and  sympathetic  nature  made  itself  as  strongly 
felt  in  these  days  of  his  maturer  ministry,  as  in  his 
fresh  and  buoyant  youth.  The  discipline  of  almost 
thirty  years  of  steady  labor  with  its  burdens  and  re- 
sponsibilities, its  rewards  and  disappointments,  had 
mellowed  and  softened  the  enthusiasm  which,  early  in 
life,  had  sometimes  led  to  an  over-sanguine  trust  in 
others.  Yet  it  had  not  changed  his  hearty  responsive- 
ness and  kindly  thoughtfulness,  or  made  him  less  un- 
selfish and  unwearied  in  labors  of  love  for  all  to  whom 
he  could  minister,  either  as  friend  or  pastor.  Thus  in 
Hartford,  as  in  all  his  former  pastorates,  he  left  behind 
him  the  memory  of  one  whose  presence  and  daily  in- 
fluence were  cheering  and  uplifting  and  in  perfect  har- 
mony with  the  spirit  of  his  public  ministrations. 

From  the  Bishop  of  Connecticut  the  following  note 
was  received  in  reply  to  Dr.  Meier-Smith's  request  for 
a  letter  dimissory. 

MY  DEAR  DOCTOR,  —  I  hate  to  send  this  !   I  hate  to  lose 
you  !   For  all  the  comfort  you  gave  me  I  thank  you,  and 
pray  God  to  bless  you  and  yours  most  abundantly ! 
Affectionately  yours, 

J.   W. 

From  letters  of  sympathy  written  by  members  of  St. 
John's  parish  and  other  friends  in  Hartford  after  the 
death  of  Dr.  Meier-Smith,  the  extracts  are  taken  which 
close  this  record  of  his  four  years'  work  in  that  city. 

From  James  A.  Smith,  Esq. 

HARTFORD,  April  2,  1887. 

...  I  loved  your  husband  for  his  strength  and  clearness 
of  mind,  and  the  warm  friendship  of  his  soul,  which  always 
made  me  feel  stronger  and  better  for  meeting  him. 


212  ST.  JOHN'S  CHURCH,  HARTFORD. 

The  news  of  his  death  gave  all  his  old  friends  in  St. 
John's  a  great  shock,  and  you  may  feel  sure  that  many 
hearts  here,  with  mine,  deeply  sympathize  with  you  and 
yours  in  your  great,  great  loss. 

From  Edgar  T.  Welles,  Esq. 

NEW  YORK,  April  1,  1887. 

It  is  impossible  for  me  to  tell  you  the  shock  that  the 
news  of  your  great  bereavement  gave  me. 

Your  dearly  loved  husband,  loved  by  all  who  knew  him, 
was  one  of  the  reliables,  —  a  friend  ever  and  always  to  be 
depended  on,  —  and  one  whom  you  would  always  think  of 
as  near  with  a  glow  of  satisfaction. 

And  now  he  has  gone  forever  from  us.  It  is  hard,  very 
hard  to  realize,  and  harder  for  us  as  circumstances  have 
BO  controlled,  that  we  have  not  been  fortunate  enough  to  be 
able  to  see  as  much  of  each  other  recently  as  we  should 
have  done. 

And  now  that  I  am  able  to  be  here  more  regularly,  he  is 
taken  away ! 

It  is  a  great  personal  loss,  but  to  you,  my  dear  friend,  it 
is  irreparable.  To  you  and  yours  I  tender  my  warmest, 
deepest  sympathy.  May  God  have  you  in  His  holy  keeping. 

From  Rev.  Dr  Pynchon,  then  President  of  Trinity  College. 

"...  I  always  regarded  him  as  a  gentleman  of  the  best 
type,  a  sincere  and  most  warm-hearted  and  hospitable  friend, 
a  man  of  a  particularly  genial  temper,  and  evidently  de- 
signed by  nature  to  be  one  of  those  whose  function  it 
should  be  to  sweeten  life. 

"  If  this  so  appeared  to  the  outside  world,  to  friends,  how 
much  more  must  these  qualities  have  endeared  him  to  his 
own  family  ?  I  feel  that  you  have  all  met  with  a  peculiarly 
severe  and  trying  loss." 


XVI. 

LIFE  AND  WOEK    IN  PHILADELPHIA. 

1876-1887. 

TN  February,  1876,  Dr.  Meier-Smith  commenced  his 
•*-  work  in  Philadelphia,  spending  three  days  in  each 
week  there,  familiarizing  himself  with  his  duties,  and  ar- 
ranging for  the  full  course  of  lectures  to  commence  in 
the  following  autumn.  Until  after  the  Easter  vacation, 
he  remained  in  charge  of  the  pulpit  of  St.  John's,  Hart- 
ford. It  was  not  until  May  that  he  removed  with  his 
family  to  Philadelphia,  where  he  had  purchased  a 
house.  The  marriage  engagement  of  his  daughter  oc- 
curred a  few  months  before  leaving  Hartford.  This 
event  was  a  cause  of  much  happiness,  strengthening 
ties  of  affection  between  his  own  family  and  those  of 
honored  and  much-loved  friends. 

The  excitement  of  the  great  Centennial  Exposition 
had  already  begun,  and  Philadelphia  for  the  next  six 
months  could  hardly  be  recognized  as  her  own  staid  and 
conservative  self.  Under  these  circumstances  not  much 
could  be  done  at  the  Divinity  School  but  to  make  ac- 
quaintance with  the  Faculty  and  the  students,  and  to 
survey  the  new  field. 

The  summer  was  spent  with  his  family  near  New 
London,  Connecticut,  and  in  September  they  took  pos- 
session of  their  house.  To  one  of  his  strong  domestic 
tastes  there  was  much  satisfaction  in  a  home  presenting 


214       PHILADELPHIA;    THE  DIVINITY  SCHOOL. 

a  hope  of  permanence,  which  was  an  hitherto  unknown 
experience.  His  complete  contentment  with  his  sur- 
roundings at  home,  and  the  opening  of  his  new  work, 
are  well  remembered.  The  life  now  commenced  dif- 
fered essentially  from  the  past.  The  busy  days,  full  to 
the  brim  with  pastoral  duties,  pulpit  preparation,  and 
parochial  supervision,  were  exchanged  for  days  of  quiet, 
methodical  work,  with  the  regular  hours  of  the  lecture 
room  and  the  study.  When  asked  by  a  friend  how  he 
liked  such  a  complete  change,  and  if  he  did  not  miss 
the  more  exciting  life  now  over,  he  replied,  "  I  confess 
to  feeling  a  little  like  a  fish  out  of  water,  or  rather  like 
a  boat  which  has  steered  out  of  the  current ;  but  on 
the  whole  I  like  it,  and  I  rather  think  it  is  going  to 
like  me.  I  believe  it  is  the  better  work  for  me  now." 

If  the  steady  routine  and  the  carefully  arranged 
hours  made  the  life  in  some  respects  easier,  there  was 
no  less  call  for  the  full  powers  of  the  man.  He  was 
not  one  to  content  himself  with  the  exact  amount 
of  labor  expected,  but  conscientiously  put  the  best 
of  himself  into  all  that  he  did,  as  truly  as  when  a 
parish  clergyman. 

His  life  being  now  one  of  so  much  less  variety,  and 
moving  on  in  a  beaten  track,  it  seems  best  no  longer  to 
follow  it  year  by  year,  but  to  give  reminiscences  of  the 
ten  succeeding  years  from  three  points  of  view,  —  the 
Work  in  the  Divinity  School,  Church  Work  and  Clerical 
Associations,  and  the  Home  Life. 


WORK  IN   THE  DIVINITY  SCHOOL. 

The  Philadelphia  Divinity  School  was  founded  by 
the  late  Bishop  Alonzo  Potter.  It  was  ever  very  dear 
to  that  venerated  prelate,  and  as  he  did  not  propose  to 


PHILADELPHIA;    THE   DIVINITY  SCHOOL.        215 

make  it  simply  a  school  for  the  Diocese  of  Pennsylvania, 
it  was  placed  under  the  care  of  Boards  composed  of  cler- 
gymen and  laymen  from  several  dioceses,  principally 
from  Pennsylvania,  New  York,  and  Massachusetts. 

Thus,  being  neither  a  Diocesan  nor  a  General  Church 
Seminary,  it  has  been  under  disadvantage  as  to  the  num- 
ber of  students  naturally  drawn  to  it.  From  the  same 
reason,  it  has  presented  some  unusual  attractions  to 
able  and  thoughtful  young  men  of  no  strong  party 
predilections,  and  numbers  among  its  graduates  names 
widely  known  and  honored  in  the  Church.  At  the  time 
Dr.  Meier-Smith  was  called  to  the  Chair  of  Homiletics, 
the  Faculty  consisted  of  the  Eev.  Drs.  Goodwin,  Butler, 
and  Hare,  and  the  Rev.  Francis  Colton. 

The  three  elder  professors  were  men  of  eminent 
scholarship  in  their  respective  departments,  and  men 
of  influence  in  Church  councils.  Mr.  Colton  was  a 
brilliant  Hebrew  scholar  and  a  fine  teacher. 

Dr.  Meier-Smith  felt  it  an  honor  to  be  the  colleague 
of  such  men,  and  during  all  the  years  of  his  intimate 
association  with  them  nothing  interrupted  the  warm 
friendship  and  the  high  regard  mutually  entertained. 
Of  the  five  composing  the  Faculty  after  he  entered  it, 
only  the  venerable  Dr.  Hare  remains.  Mr.  Colton  was 
early  called  from  a  work  full  of  promise.  Dr.  Goodwin 
and  Dr.  Butler,  both  Dr.  Meier-Smith's  seniors  by 
many  years,  survived  him  for  three  years,  and  passed 
to  the  rest  of  Paradise  crowned  with  fulness  of  days 
and  honorable  service  in  the  Church. 

The  full  work  of  the  professorship  commenced  in  the 
autumn  of  1876.  Dr.  Meier-Smith  entered  upon  it  with 
enthusiasm,  and  it  grew  upon  his  hands.  The  prepara- 
tion in  his  study  was  work  exactly  to  his  mind,  and 
the  intellectual  labor  of  the  past  years  proved  a  good 


216       PHILADELPHIA;    THE  DIVINITY  SCHOOL. 

foundation  for  it.  Never  a  careless  student  and  ser- 
mon-writer, he  was  not  in  danger  of  becoming  a  super- 
ficial teacher  of  sermon -making.  Never  undervaluing 
the  great  work  of  preaching,  he  was  well  prepared  to 
magnify  his  office,  and  train  young  men  to  the  practical 
work  of  the  ministry,  and  especially  to  its  highest  duty 
and  honor,  —  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel.  For  several 
years  his  lectures  were  in  large  part  freshly  written  or 
extensively  revised,  as  each  year  he  could  see  where 
to  improve  his  instruction.  He  was  careful  not  to 
fall  into  a  rut,  or  to  grow  dull  and  monotonous.  To 
keep  abreast  of  the  thought  and  methods  of  these 
days  of  ever-widening  views  and  rapid  progress  was 
his  steady  aim. 

He  left  a  large  number  of  manuscript  volumes,  com- 
prising his  notes  of  lectures,  more  or  less  fully  written 
out.  They  embrace  courses  upon  Homiletics,  Pastoral 
Duties,  Parochial  Administration,  and  other  subjects 
necessary  to  the  full  equipment  of  the  pastor  and  the 
preacher,  and  many  lectures  on  Liturgies.  There  are 
also  historical  sketches  of  Foreign  Missions,  not  only 
those  of  our  own  Church,  but  of  other  branches  of  the 
Church  Catholic. 

They  show  the  same  careful  study  and  vigorously  ex- 
pressed thought  which  mark  all  his  written  sermons. 
These  lectures  were  seldom  read  just  as  written.  They 
were  used  chiefly  as  notes  for  free  and  extemporized  in- 
struction, often  of  the  most  informal  nature.  No  text- 
book on  Homiletics  was  quite  satisfactory  to  him,  and 
he  had  in  mind,  in  preparing  his  lectures,  a  probable 
revision  and  future  publication  of  his  main  course  of 
instruction.  Upon  his  methods  as  a  teacher,  the  Dean 
of  the  Seminary  has  written  with  affectionate  apprecia- 
tion and  with  critical  impartiality.  His  tribute,  first 


PHILADELPHIA;    THE   DIVINITY   SCHOOL.        217 

printed  in  the  "  Churchman,"  is  appended  to  this  sketch 
of  the  work  in  the  Divinity  School. 

Dr.  Meier-Smith's  lectures  are  found  written,  as  were 
all  his  sermons,  in  distinct  hand,  unmarred  by  erasures 
or  abbreviations.  Friends  of  his  own  profession,  look- 
ing over  his  manuscripts,  invariably  comment  upon  the 
neatness  and  finish  of  his  work.  This  painstaking 
method  of  work  resulted  from  the  fact  that  nothing 
in  the  bine  of  his  duty  ever  seemed  to  him  unimportant. 
The  simplest  expository  lecture  was  faithfully  studied, 
and,  if  written  out,  took  its  appropriate  expression  in 
his  own  mind  before  he  commenced  to  write.  Perhaps 
this  careful  and  conscientious  labor  hindered,  to  some 
extent,  a  showing  of  his  real  ability  outside  of  his  regular 
work.  It  was  a  familiar  and  playful  response  with  him, 
when  asked  to  write  for  the  press,  "  Oh,  I  'm  too  lazy 
for  such  hard  work!"  It  was  rather  that  he  had  a 
dread  of  the  severe  labor  he  knew  it  would  cost  him  to 
produce  the  realization  of  his  high  ideal. 

The  new  work  commenced  hopefully.  The  class  en- 
tering the  school  in  1876  was  one  of  unusual  promise, 
with  a  large  proportion  of  able  men  and  good  students. 
There  seemed  at  once  to  be  a  mutual  attraction  be- 
tween them  and  the  Professor  of  Homiletics,  and  the 
warm  friendships  commencing  then  continued,  not  only 
through  the  Seminary  course,  but  with  several  of  the 
number  during  the  rest  of  Dr.  Meier- Smith's  life.  He 
felt  that  much  could  be  done  for  his  pupils  by  personal 
influence,  and  he  wished  to  be  their  pastor  and  friend. 
They  were  frequently  guests  at  his  house,  and  his  frank 
and  winning  manner,  and  unvarying  courtesy,  placed 
them  at  ease  with  him,  and  encouraged  a  free  con- 
fidence. There  have  been  ample  testimonies  to  the 
place  he  held  in  the  hearts  of  many  of  his  students. 


218       PHILADELPHIA;    THE   DIVINITY   SCHOOL. 

To  no  one  could  they  go,  if  in  doubt  or  perplexity,  with 
more  certainty  of  a  patient  and  sympathetic  hearing,  or 
more  assurance  of  wise  and  judicious  counsel.  Long 
experience  as  a  pastor,  and  large  intercourse  with  men, 
well  fitted  him  to  understand  the  needs  of  these  young 
men ;  and  all  who  knew  him,  and  who  read  this  record, 
know  that  to  appeal  to  him  for  help  always  meant  to 
receive  it.  If  no  more  practical  aid  was  possible,  they 
received  the  certainty  that  the  need  or  anxiety  had  been 
thoroughly  appreciated  by  an  elder  brother's  heart.  There 
were  some  among  the  many  who  came  under  his  instruc- 
tion whom  he  never  reached.  But  in  every  class,  the 
best  and  strongest  men  gave  him  gratifying  assurances  of 
their  obligation  to  him,  as  friend  and  teacher,  as  well 
out  of  the  class-room  as  within  it.  It  was  his  practice  to 
seek  out  the  more  retiring  students,  most  of  whom  were 
strangers  in  the  city,  and  to  do  what  he  could  to  make 
them  feel  at  home  in  his  house,  inviting  them  to  his 
table,  or  for  a  social  evening,  and  often  thus  breaking 
the  loneliness  of  a  holiday  for  those  who  could  not  go 
to  their  distant  homes.  To  have  found  his  unrestrained 
cordiality  abused,  would  at  any  time  have  caused  him 
more  pain  than  many  could  feel  from  such  a  disappoint- 
ment. Naturally  trusting  and  guileless,  he  expected 
trust  in  others,  and  suffered  keenly  on  the  few  occa- 
sions in  his  life  when  he  found  that  his  confidence  had 
been  misplaced. 

At  the  time  Dr.  Meier-Smith  commenced  his  work  at 
the  Divinity  School,  an  old  mansion  with  large  grounds, 
in  West  Philadelphia,  was  occupied  by  the  Seminary. 
There  were  many  inconveniences  resulting  from  the 
imperfe'ct  adaptation  of  such  a  building  to  the  needs  of 
a  divinity  school,  and  after  a  few  years  this  property 
was  sold,  and  the  present  location  secured.  The  corner- 


PHILADELPHIA;    THE   DIVINITY   SCHOOL.        219 

stone  of  the  fine  edifice  erected  upon  Woodland  Avenue 
and  Fiftieth  Street,  was  laid  at  the  Commencement  of 
the  Seminary,  in  June,  1881. 

Professor  Colton,  who  was  secretary  of  the  Faculty, 
died  within  the  first  two  years  of  Dr.  Meier-Smith's 
professorship,  and  he  succeeded  him  in  that  office.  This 
position  he  retained  until  the  close  of  his  work.  He 
found  that  there  was  need  of  some  supervision  of  do- 
mestic matters  connected  with  the  comfort  of  the  stu- 
dents who  lived  at  the  School,  which  seemed,  in  the 
absence  of  a  resident  Dean,  to  be  no  one's  duty ;  and 
he  volunteered  his  services  for  such  work,  believing 
that  he  could  advance  the  interests  of  the  Seminary, 
and  remove  some  grounds  of  dissatisfaction.  Such  a 
post  he  held  by  desire  of  the  Faculty  and  the  Bishop, 
until  he  was  relieved,  after  the  removal  to  the  new  build- 
ing and  the  appointment  of  Dr.  Bartlett  as  resident 
Dean.  Through  this  position  he  was  brought  into  close 
relationship  to  many  of  the  students,  and  became  famil- 
iar with  the  household  economies,  to  a  degree  somewhat 
amusing  to  his  family,  who  knew  how  little  of  such  care 
had  heretofore  fallen  upon  him.  He  had  the  satisfac- 
tion of  feeling  that  this  service,  on  which  he  expended 
much  time  and  thought,  was  productive  of  substantial 
good,  hardly  appreciated  at  the  time.  The  practical 
knowledge  he  gained  in  this  experience  was  of  benefit 
in  contributing  to  the  conveniences  of  the  new  build- 
ing, in  the  arrangements  of  which  he  took  a  warm 
interest. 

In  1885,  Eev.  Dr.  Edward  S.  Bartlett,  Eev.  John  P. 
Peters,  Ph.D.,  and  Rev.  Dr.  Joseph  F.  Garrison  were 
added  to  the  Faculty.  New  vigor  in  administration 
and  a  higher  standard  of  scholarship  gave  an  impulse  to 
the  progress  of  the  Seminary.  With  these  colleagues, 


220        PHILADELPHIA;    THE  DIVINITY  SCHOOL. 

Dr.  Meier-Smith  was  in  hearty  sympathy,  and  predicted 
greatly  enlarged  usefulness  in  the  work  of  the  school 
from  these  additions  to  the  corps  of  instructors. 

During  all  these  years  Dr.  Meier-Smith  wrote  to  his 
friend  Dr.  Dyer  with  the  frankness  of  close  intimacy. 
To  the  larger  experience  and  wise  counsel  of  his  friend 
he  appealed  in  any  perplexity,  and  many  of  his  letters 
are  so  characteristic  that  there  is  much  temptation  to 
insert  them.  But  that  which  constitutes  their  charm 
precludes  their  appearance  to  any  extent.  Much  re- 
lates to  very  personal  matters,  and  without  explanation 
might  be  misunderstood.  Under  date  of  March  1, 
1877,  Dr.  Meier-Smith  writes  to  Dr.  Dyer  concerning 
his  work  at  the  Divinity  School.  "...  You  do  my  in- 
most heart  good,  by  the  kind  way  you  speak  of  iny  suc- 
cess, so  far,  in  the  professorship.  I  was  more  anxious  to 
succeed,  for  my  friends'  sake,  yours  particularly,  than 
for  any  purely  personal  reasons,  I  am  quite  sure.  I 
want  indeed  to  be  successful  for  higher  reasons.  .  .  . 
The  fellows  seem  to  take  to  me.  They  don't  act  as  if 
I  were  stiffness  personified,  and  I  enjoy  the  work  im- 
mensely. I  only  wish  for  more  students,  and  for  more 
who  have  had  superior  preparation.  Many  of  the  boys 
have  enjoyed  but  limited  advantages.  I  work  hard  over 
them,  and  the  work  grows  upon  me  with  its  possibili- 
ties and  responsibilities.  I  think  we  can  turn  out  good 
material.  One  of  these  days,  if  I  can  get  hold  of  some 
good  layman,  I  should  like  to  get  some  funds  much 
needed  now  for  library  uses.  In  fact,  between  you 
and  me,  there  are  several  things  that  want  '  tinkering,' 
for  the  most  effective  working  of  the  School.  But  I 
won't  write  anything  to  set  you  thinking.  I  only 
want  to  show  you  that  I  am  busy  thinking  outside  of 
'chair'  limits." 


PHILADELPHIA;    THE  DIVINITY  SCHOOL.       221 

Referring  to  the  discussion  going  on  respecting  the 
"  Order  of  the  Holy  Cross,"  and  Bishop  Lee's  letter  to 
the  Bishop  of  New  York,  he  wrote  to  Dr.  Dyer,  under 
date  of  Jan.  8,  1884:  — 

.  .  .  What  exciting  things  are  going  on  !  Such  a 
stir  here  in  Philadelphia  over  the  reported  new  depart- 
ure of  Bishop  Potter!  ...  I  have  so  warm  a  regard 
for  the  Bishop,  and  such  unbounded  faith  in  his  glo- 
rious intentions  to  go  out  to  the  outcast  and  perish- 
ing, and  in  his  common-sense,  and  his  disdain  of  both 
the  nonsensical  and  the  effete,  that  I  cannot  fault  him. 
But  —  but  —  is  there  any  grace  in  an  ill-fitting  robe, 
and  a  rope  around  one's  "  midst "  !  The  "  crackit " 
however  we  shall  always  have  with  us,  and  we  must 
bear  with  their  infirmities  though  we  cannot  "  abide  " 
them.  .  .  .  The  Divinity  School  is  on  the  move.  Certainly 
the  additions  to  the  Faculty  are  immensely  valuable. 
Dr.  Bartlett  is  admirable  in  professorship  and  Deanship. 
He  is  scholarly  as  teacher  and  practical  as  Dean.  Dr. 
Peters  does  not  allow  the  Hebrew  to  be  a  "  bugbear," 
and  awakens  enthusiasm.  Dr.  Garrison  is  a  very  full 
man,  with  unusual  presentation  faculty,  and  is  popular 
and  successful.  Now  if  the  Executive  Committee  will 
show  that  they  are  as  progressive  as  the  Faculty,  things 
will  "rush."  The  morale  of  the  School  seems  to  be 
excellent.  The  residence  of  the  Dean  is  a  great  help. 
I  think  now  for  instruction  we  have  no  superior  in  the 
Church,  and  excepting  in  a  single  department  (J),1  I 
fancy  that  so  far  as  we  go,  we  are  equal  to  any  school  in 
the  Church.  I  hope,  my  dear  Doctor,  you  keep  bright 
as  ever.  You  await  the  revelation  of  the  Lord  from 
heaven,  and  what  peace  and  glory  must  this  be  in  your 
soul !  Ever  affectionately,  your  brother,  M.  M.-S. 

1  A  modest  reference  to  his  own  work. 


222        PHILADELPHIA;    THE   DIVINITY   SCHOOL. 

The  following  extracts,  taken  from  among  many  let- 
ters received  from  former  pupils  since  his  earthly  work 
was  ended,  bear  witness  to  his  influence  as  friend  and 

teacher :  — 

From  Rev.  L.  W.  Burton. 

"...  I  can  echo  all  that  has  been  so  aptly  and  affection- 
ately said  of  Dr.  Meier-Smith  in  the  published  letters  and 
resolutions.  What  position  could  be  a  more  responsible  one 
than  that  he  filled  ? 

"  I  am  sure  a  conscientious  realization  that  he  was  shaping 
men  for  the  ministry  of  Christ,  to  many  scattered  congrega- 
tions, was  always  combined  with  a  tender  regard  for  the 
students  themselves.  I  am  certainly  still  feeling  his  influ- 
ence over  my  work,  and  every  day's  deeper  experience  of 
life,  and  understanding  of  God's  Will,  are  making  me  appre- 
ciate, more  and  more,  how  right  he  was  in  his  views  and 
advice  as  to  our  calling." 

From  Rev.  N.  H.  Burnham. 

"...  For  the  last  twelve  years  he  has  been  a  kind  and 
constant  friend.  As  such  I  owe  him  more  than  I  can  ever 
express.  I  must  add  that  as  my  instructor  he  is  equally 
deserving  of  my  lasting  gratitude.  I  seldom  write  a  sermon 
without  seeming  to  feel  his  genial  presence,  and  to  hear  his 
voice  uttering  words  of  kindly  criticism  and  instruction.  I 
cannot  realize  that  my  dear  friend  and  wise,  kind  counsellor 
is  gone  forever." 

From  Rev.  J.  J.  J.  Moore. 

"...  His  unvarying  kindness  to  me  during  my  three 
years'  course  in  the  Seminary  will  ever  live  in  my  most 
grateful  remembrance.  My  nervousness  and  diffidence  al- 
ways received  at  his  hands  the  utmost  consideration,  and  his 
hearty,  ready  sympathy  saved  me  from  much  anxiety  and 
actual  pain.  He  was  one  of  the  few  men  who  can  under- 
stand such  a  temperament,  and  to  whom  I  would  care  to  go 


PHILADELPHIA;    THE   DIVINITY   SCHOOL.       223 

in  time  of  perplexity  and  trouble.  Men  of  his  genial  nature, 
quick  perception,  unfailing  patience,  and  sympathetic  coun- 
sel, are  so  scarce  in  this  world  that  I  cannot  forbear  offering 
this  mite  of  true  appreciation,  of  grateful  and  lasting 
regard." 

From  Rev.  George  Mcllvaine  Du  Bois. 

"...  For  my  own  part  I  have  always  believed  that  I  owe 
more  to  Dr.  Meier-Smith  than  to  any  other  member  of  the 
Faculty.  His  method  of  teaching  his  department  was  excel- 
lent. He  made  timid  men  bolder,  and  gave  all  his  pupils 
self-reliance.  He  knocked  out  the  sensitiveness  or  foolish 
pride  which  stands  in  the  way  of  usefulness,  and  taught  men 
to  be  broader,  tougher,  and  more  manly.  He  took  a  per- 
sonal interest  in  the  young  men,  and  tried  to  aid  them  and 
develop  them  in  every  way.  I  know  moreover  his  laborious- 
ness  in  preparation,  though  it  was  also  a  fact  that  he  depre- 
ciated his  own  work,  though  it  may  have  cost  him  hours  of 
study.  I  am  sure  the  Class  of '79  are  unanimous  in  their 
regard  for  Dr.  Meier-Smith,  and  their  appreciation  of  his 
work." 

From  Rev.  W.  H.  Burr. 

"...  I  can  never  forget  either  Dr.  Meier-Smith's  kindness 
to  me,  nor  the  strength  of  his  goodness,  —  he  was  always 
a  man,  a  true  man.  I  shall  never  forget  many  of  his  words, 
and  how  deeply  they  impressed  me.  They  set  a  thought- 
less, pleasure-loving  college  boy  to  thinking,  and  made  him 
seriously  ask  for  the  first  time,  '  What  is  life?'" 

From   Rev.  E.  G.  Richardson. 

"...  I  wish,  while  expressing  my  deep  sympathy  with  you 
and  yours,  to  add  a  special  word  of  gratitude  for  valued,  helpful 
influence.  It  is  difficult  for  a  pupil  to  tell  precisely  what  he 
owes  to  a  respected  teacher,  but  I  am  distinctly  conscious  of 
being  indebted  to  Dr.  Meier-Smith  for  a  germinant  enthu- 


224       PHILADELPHIA;    THE  DIVINITY  SCHOOL. 

siasm  for  the  work  of  the  ministry,  and  also  for  the  beginnings 
of  a  habit  of  hopefulness  in  the  midst  of  its  perplexities." 

From  Rev.  F.  S.  Ballentine. 

"...  How  inadequate  are  words  to  express  the  worth  of 
such  a  character  J  I  can't  but  think,  however  well  others 
may  have  known  him,  that  I  saw  some  sides  of  his  character 
while  with  him  at  the  Divinity  School,  which  led  me  espe- 
cially to  know  what  a  noble,  manly  man  he  was.  He  prized  a 
manly  character  above  everything.  If  he  found  that,  he 
cared  not  for  minor  differences.  And  how  he  did  pity  one 
who  lacked  breadth,  —  one  who  could  not  see  beyond  his  own 
little  rut.  I  am  glad  to  remember  the  kindly  interest  the 
Doctor  took  in  me.  The  memory  of  him  will  always  be  to 
my  life  as  a  sweet-smelling  savor." 

From  Rev.  W.  M.  Harrison. 

"...  My  intercourse  with  Professor  Meier-Smith  was  most 
pleasant  all  through  the  Seminary  course.  His  lectures  I 
always  found  interesting  and  instructive,  especially  in  those 
matters  which  related  to  our  practical  work  as  pastors  and 
preachers.  There  was  no  one  of  the  Faculty  more  interested 
in  the  personal  welfare  of  the  students,  as  students  ;  and  no 
one  more  ready  to  give  them  the  benefit  of  his  wider  knowl- 
edge and  experience,  both  when  they  were  under  his  instruc- 
tion, and  when  they  had  left  the  Seminary.  "Well  do  I 
remember  writing  to  him  for  advice  soon  after  I  had  gradu- 
ated, and  his  reply  so  full  of  sympathy  and  encouragement, 
and  so  helpful  to  me  at  that  time." 

From  Rev.  R.  S.  Howett. 

"...  I  cannot  express  to  you  the  comfort  it  gave  me  to 
draft  the  testimonials  of  our  reverence  and  affection  for  the 
friend  who  has  gone  to  the  home  he  loved  so  well.  Every 
word  seemed  so  merited  and  so  true.  I  had  difficulty  in 


PHILADELPHIA;    THE  DIVINITY   SCHOOL.        225 

restraining  myself  from  expressions,  which,  though  the  out- 
come of  deep  respect  and  regard,  I  felt  would  not  have  been 
sought  by  the  modest,  manly  spirit  we  delighted  to  honor  " 

From  Rev.  L.  H.  Schwab. 

"...  I  think  what  must  have  struck  most  people  as  they 
came  in  contact  with  Dr.  Meier-Smith  was  his  great  power  of 
sympathy.  It  was  what  attracted  many  very  strongly  to  him, 
and  this  trait  of  his  character  leaves  the  most  abiding  im- 
pression upon  the  memory.  His  kindly  smile,  the  warm  and 
hearty  grasp  of  the  hand,  with  which  he  greeted  you,  these 
are  things  which  one  does  not  meet  every  day  in  the  cold 
world,  and  when  you  come  under  the  influence  of  such  a 
warm  nature  the  impression  is  lasting.  This  sympathy  of 
his  certainly  gave  to  many  a  young  man,  struggling  hard,  a 
new  hope  and  courage.  In  his  teaching  perhaps  the  chief 
characteristic  was  the  entire  absence  of  red-tape  and  formal- 
ism. It  was  his  endeavor  to  teach  the  men  to  think,  and  thus 
to  get  the  best  out  of  them  by  a  natural  process  of  develop- 
ment. His  lectures  were  often  very  informal  and  familiar 
talks.  His  strong  sense  of  humor  and  lightness  of  spirit  made 
his  recitations  different  from  those  of  other  professors,  as  the 
lesson  which  he  was  trying  to  teach  was  enforced  and  illus- 
trated by  some  pointed  anecdote  or  happy  saying,  and  yet 
underneath  it  all  there  was  a  deep  earnestness  which  every 
now  and  then  would  come  to  the  surface  in  some  earnest 
words  of  serious  warning  or  spiritual  advice ;  and  many 
have  carried  away  the  strong  impression  which  such  words 
of  evangelical  fervor  made  upon  them,  when  the  students 
were  exhorted  above  all  things  to  preach  '  Christ  Crucified,' 
and  to  preserve  the  consciousness  of  the  responsibility  for 
men's  souls  to  which  they  were  called. 

"  This  blending  of  an  innocent  joyousness  with  a  deep,  in- 
tense seriousness  was,  I  think,  one  of  the  strong  points  of 
Dr.  Meier-Smith's  character.  As  I  write,  the  recollection  of 
him  comes  up  so  distinctly  before  my  mind  !  What  a 
15 


226       PHILADELPHIA;    THE  DIVINITY  SCHOOL. 

blessing  that  we  may  look  forward  to  seeing  again  those 
we  have  loved  so  much  here  ! " 

From  Rev.  Frederick  Burt  Awry. 

July  11,  1890. 

...  I  have  tried  repeatedly  to  renew  our  acquaintance 
and  to  tell  you  how  much  I  loved  your  noble  husband. 

Dr.  Meier-Smith  was  a  very  dear  friend  to  me,  from  the 
day  I  received  his  cordial  letter  of  welcome  to  the  "  Divinity 
School,"  on  through  the  course,  and  to  the  time  of  parish 
work  as  a  priest  in  the  dear  Church  which  he  loved  and 
taught  me  to  love.  For  I  was  not  "  born  and  bred  "  in  our 
Church,  but  had  come,  as  he  had,  from  the  Presbyterians. 
This  made  one  of  the  strands  of  the  strong  rope  of  sympathy 
which  seemed  to  bind  us  together.  He  was  personally  my 
friend,  as  he  tried  to  be  to  all  the  students  in  many  a  prac- 
tical way,  securing  remunerative  positions  as  assistants,  visit- 
ing us  in  our  rooms,  giving  us  valuable  suggestions  as  to 
ways  and  methods  of  work,  study,  and  recreation.  He  did 
not  forget  that  the  young  men  were  still  boys  in  their  home 
feelings,  and  in  this,  his  wife,  always  so  hospitable  and  cor- 
dial, enthusiastically  seconded  his  efforts  to  make  us  feel  at 
home  in  "  De  Lancey  Place,"  not  only  when  specially  in- 
vited to  "  splendid  suppers,"  but  whenever  we  might  "  drop 
around." 

Some  of  these  pleasant  memories  of  course  still  linger 
to  recall  those  happy  days,  as  they  touched  the  "  natural 
man's  "  sensibilities  and  affections.  Divinity  students  are 
very  human.  But  while  these  social  amenities  marked  dear 
Dr.  Meier-Smith's  relations  to  the  students,  they  were  merely 
incidental  to  the  career  of  the  young  men  for  whom,  and  with 
whom,  he  was  laboring,  in  order  to  make  them  "workmen 
who  need  not  to  be  ashamed,"  well  furnished  and  equipped 
for  their  life's  work.  He  was  a  great  reader  and  a  hard 
student,  a  real  lover  and  judge  of  good  books.  From  his 
researches  he  gave  us  "  treasures  new  and  old,"  and  did  not 


PHILADELPHIA;    THE   DIVINITY   SCHOOL.        227 

simply  confine  his  lectures  to  a  few  "  books  on  homiletics." 
His  Churchmanship  was  not  that  of  a  partisan.  "  Broad  " 
in  his  sympathies,  "  High  "  in  his  ideals  of  ministerial  recti- 
tude, "  Lowly  "  minded,  feeling  the  necessity  of  meekly  obey- 
ing the  Master's  precepts,  yet  ever  ambitious  to  excel  in  every 
good  word  and  deed.  While  evangelical  in  his  presentment 
of  the  "  faith  once  delivered  to  the  saints,"  he  believed 
thoroughly  in  institutional  religion  and  the  authority  vested 
in  the  Divine  Orders  of  the  Visible  Church  of  Christ. 

His  criticisms  of  our  sermonic  efforts,  and  our  delivery  of 
the  same,  while  at  times  severe,  were  always  just,  discrim- 
inating, and  kind.  He  knew  how  to  "  speak  the  truth  in 
love."  While  he  taught  us  to  be  very  loyal  to  the  Church's 
standards,  and  was  a  thorough  Rubrician,  he  interlaced  the 
offices  of  the  Prayer  Book  with  the  "  Rubric  of  Common- 
sense."  In  this  latter  gift  he  excelled,  and  frequently,  with 
a  forceful  incident  of  his  own  experience,  or  by  a  most  prac- 
tical illustration,  presented  the  profoundest  of  truths,  fasten- 
ing them  as  nails  in  a  sure  place  in  our  memories,  from  which 
they  can  never  be  obliterated. 

I  might  add  many  more  reminiscences  of  our  beloved  pre- 
ceptor in  Pastoral  Theology,  and  then  still  fail  to  do  justice 
to  the  memory  of  one  who  was  more  than  a  teacher,  —  a 
friend  and  pastor  to  those  whom  he  tried  to  make  realize 
their  high  calling  as  under-shepherds  of  the  divine  Master. 

He  made  a  deep  impression  upon  my  own  life. 

May  our  Heavenly  Father  grant  me  the  privilege  of  the 
blessed  reunion  with  him  and  the  saints  gone  before,  in  the 
Paradise  of  the  Redeemed  and  Blessed  for  evermore  ! 

The  Rev.  Edward  T.  Bartlett,  D.D.,  Dean  of  the 
Divinity  School,  contributed  the  following  to  the 
"  Churchman,"  June  18,  1887 :  — 

"  I  desire  to  write  a  few  words  in  memory  of  a  dear  friend 
and  fellow-worker  whose  services  to  the  Church  will  not  soon 


228       PHILADELPHIA;    THE  DIVINITY  SCHOOL. 

be  forgotten,  but  a  record  of  some  of  them  may  be  still  further 
promotive  of  good. 

"  Two  months  ago  the  Rev.  Matson  Meier-Smith,  D.D., 
Professor  in  the  Divinity  School  in  Philadelphia,  was  sud- 
denly called  away  from  his  place  and  work  on  earth.  The 
shock  was  so  sudden,  and  the  loss  so  great,  that  it  scarcely 
seemed  possible  to  those  who  had  worked  side  by  side  with 
him  to  bear  the  one  or  speak  of  the  other  with  entire  calm- 
ness. Now,  however,  that  the  mind  has  become  somewhat 
accustomed  to  the  great  change  caused  by  his  sudden  de- 
parture, it  may  be  possible  to  say  a  few  words  that  will 
convey  some  notion  of  what  his  work  was  in  the  Divinity 
School. 

"  Dr.  Meier-Smith  was  peculiarly  gifted  with  a  sincere, 
quick  sympathy  with  all  sorts  and  conditions  of  men. 
Dignified,  and  commanding  respect  wherever  he  went  and 
whomsoever  he  met,  he  was  remarkably  free  from  that 
self-assertiveness  which  so  often  accompanies  personal  dig- 
nity. He  knew  how  to  yield  and  subordinate  himself,  how 
to  practise  a  genuine,  easy,  graceful  Christian  humility, 
without  the  sacrifice  of  self-respect  or  the  respect  of  others. 
There  was  no  appearance  of  narrowness,  dogmatism,  or  arro- 
gance in  him,  though  he  was  a  man  of  positive  convictions, 
which  he  was  accustomed  to  express  freely  whenever  there 
was  occasion. 

"  The  professorship  he  held  was  that  of  homiletics  and  pas- 
toral care.  His  course  of  instruction  was  well  planned  and 
methodical,  but  its  special  characteristics  grew  out  of  the 
fact  that  he  endeavored  to  make  his  lectures  personal  con- 
versations between  him  and  his  pupils,  —  not  the  less  direct 
and  consecutive  for  being  free  from  formality.  The  wise, 
loving,  charitable,  and  manly  principles  that  he  had  learned 
to  apply  in  his  own  pastorate  of  twenty-eight  years  were 
those  which,  during  his  eleven  years'  professorship,  he  sought 
to  implant  in  those  who  were  preparing  for  such  work.  His 
influence  tended  to  strengthen  in  his  scholars  traits  of  man- 


PHILADELPHIA;    THE  DIVINITY  SCHOOL.       229 

liness,  true  Christian  self-reliance,  strength,  courage,  and 
meekness.  He  gave  principles,  not  rules,  and  was  extremely 
careful  to  show  those  who  heard  him  that  men  must  for 
themselves  look  at  things  straightforwardly  and  clearly,  and 
adapt  their  application  of  principles  to  the  peculiar  and 
ever-varying  circumstances  with  which  they  would  have  to 
deal.  His  own  work  in  the  pastorate  for  many  years  had 
given  him  experiences  the  harvest  of  which  he  knew  well 
how  to  gather  and  store  up.  Sympathy,  and  a  desire  to 
understand  and  be  fair  to  all  men,  had  enabled  him  to  profit 
by  such  experiences,  and  it  was  evident  that  he  was  always 
thinking  kindly  and  carefully  of  all  that  he  had  passed 
through,  with  a  view  to  learning  how  it  might  be  turned 
to  profit  for  those  whom  he  instructed.  His  method  thus 
was  inductive.  He  did  not  deal  with  preaching  and  pastoral 
work  as  a  theorizer  merely.  His  theory  was  reached  after  a 
careful  collation  of  facts,  by  a  patient,  careful,  kind-hearted 
consideration  of  them.  He  was  not  only  a  clergyman  and 
a  priest  of  the  Church  ;  he  knew  laymen,  he  understood 
them,  he  showed  great  ability  in  working  with  and  not 
merely  over  them,  and  no  one  could  attend  his  classes 
without  feeling  that  with  great  common-sense  and  wisdom 
he  was  exercising  such  an  influence  over  them  as  would  send 
them  out  to  be  good  leaders  among  the  laity. 

"  His  power  over  his  classes  was  all  the  greater  because  of 
the  solid,  quiet  basis  from  which  it  worked.  It  was  a  genial 
quality  which  drew  his  men  to  him  personally  while  yet  it 
left  them  free  from  any  overwhelming  personal  influence. 
Wit  and  humor  played  a  large  part  in  his  remarks  and  criti- 
cisms. He  was  always  ready  with  a  smile,  which  was  good- 
natured  and  which  never  hurt  the  most  sensitive  feelings, 
yet  which  performed  a  most  effective  work.  Satire,  severe 
but  altogether  free  from  bitterness  and  perfectly  courteous, 
was  at  hand  when  needed.  But  he  was  an  attentive  and  ap- 
preciative listener,  a  true  critic,  looking  for  the  good  points 
rather  than  the  bad.  Having  found  the  best  there  was  in  a 


230        PHILADELPHIA;    THE  DIVINITY  SCHOOL. 

man,  he  desired  to  cultivate  that  to  the  full.  It  was  evident 
that  he  had  in  mind  the  difficulties  men  would  have  to  meet 
through  their  own  limitations,  and  was  trying  to  under- 
stand each  man  separately  on  his  own  merits,  and  to  assist 
him  to  that  enlargement  of  character  which  is  the  best  of 
all  safeguards  against  the  peculiar  difficulties  that  are  en- 
countered in  the  ministry.  To  train  a  young  Christian  man 
into  being  his  own  best  self,  and  to  live  in  the  highest 
regions  of  his  character,  —  that  was  Professor  Meier-Smith's 
great  aim  in  his  work  in  the  Divinity  School.  Strong  and 
liberal  in  his  own  views,  he  never  attempted  to  interfere 
with  earnest  convictions  in  other  men,  any  more  than  with 
individuality  of  character,  but  only  to  help  them  to  clear- 
ness, sincerity,  and  truth. 

"Self-forgetting,  unobtrusive,  ready  with  kind  feelings  and 
kind  words,  ready  to  help  wherever  he  could,  he  is  greatly 
missed  by  his  fellow- workers,  and  his  memory  will  be  for- 
ever blessed." 


XVII. 

CHUECH  WOKK  AND  CLERICAL  ASSOCIATIONS. 

BEFORE  Dr.  Meier-Smith  accepted  the  professor- 
ship offered  to  him  in  Philadelphia,  he  expressed 
strongly,  to  friends,  his  unwillingness  to  resign  the  work 
of  a  parish  clergyman,  unless  he  could  find  frequent 
opportunities  to  preach.  "  The  work  I  love  best  in  the 
world,"  he  said,  "  is  to  preach  the  glorious  Gospel  of  our 
blessed  Lord,  and  I  cannot  lay  it  entirely  aside.  An 
educational  post  too  often  means  that  the  preacher  is 
shelved."  He  was  assured  that  he  would  find  no  lack 
of  occasion  to  exercise  his  much-loved  calling  in  so 
large  a  city,  and  the  experience  of  the  subsequent  years 
was  in  this  respect  all  that  he  could  have  desired. 

From  the  "  Eecord  of  Services "  it  appears  that  he 
preached  more  than  five  hundred  times  after  his  re- 
moval to  Philadelphia,  which  is  an  average  of  once  each 
Sunday  throughout  the  whole  time. 

He  came  to  Philadelphia  without  any  extensive  ac- 
quaintance with  the  clergy  of  the  city.  The  cordiality 
with  which  he  was  welcomed,  and  the  friendships  formed 
in  various  parishes,  and  with  their  rectors,  made  his 
work  among  them  a  very  happy  one.  For  the  first  two 
years  he  was  at  the  service  of  his  friends  in  various 
parts  of  the  city  and  its  suburbs,  and  responded  cheer- 
fully whenever  he  could  give  relief  to  an  overworked 
brother.  He  assisted  in  the  services  and  at  the  Holy 
Communion,  frequently  gave  aid  in  the  Lenten  lecture 


232        MINISTERIAL  WORK  AND  ASSOCIATIONS. 

courses,  and  was  often  called  upon  for  addresses  and 
lectures.  During  the  ten  years  of  Dr.  Meier-Smith's 
residence  in  Philadelphia  he  became  a  familiar  figure  in 
the  chancels  and  pulpits  of  Holy  Trinity,  St.  James's, 
St.  Luke's,  and  other  prominent  churches.  From  the 
large  circle  of  friends  made  in  these  parishes,  he  had 
many  kind  proofs  of  his  acceptability  as  a  preacher,  and 
from  the  acquaintance  thus  made  much  delightful  social 
intercourse  resulted.  When  he  was  so  suddenly  re- 
moved from  his  labors,  a  well-known  layman  paid 
him  this  high  tribute :  "  I  think  there  was  not,  in  all 
Philadelphia,  a  clergyman  so  beloved  in  so  many  of  our 
parishes  as  Dr.  Meier-Smith."  His  own  modest  esti- 
mate of  himself  was  such  that  an  expression  of  this 
nature  would  have  overwhelmed  him. 

The  absence  of  past  heavy  responsibilities  was  a  great 
relief ;  yet  he  gave  many  a  loving  and  half -regretful 
thought  to  the  pastoral  work  now  over.  "  I  do  love  to 
know  to  whom  I  am  preaching,"  he  often  said.  And  to 
his  sympathetic  nature,  a  blessed  work  ceased  when  he 
found  it  no  longer  his  place  to  minister  consolation  in 
hours  of  suffering,  or  to  guide  and  help  the  struggling 
and  weary.  He  missed,  also,  the  regular  celebration  of 
the  Church's  great  Feast.  "  I  never  celebrate  the  Holy 
Communion,"  he  said  to  his  wife,  "  without  devout 
thanks  that  I  am  permitted  such  an  honor ;  and  I  do 
love  to  administer  to  my  own  people,"  adding  with  a 
sigh,  "  that  I  suppose  I  am  never  likely  to  do  again." 

The  summer  vacations  of  the  Divinity  School  were 
always  passed  away  from  the  city,  and  for  several  years 
he  preached  quite  constantly  during  these  vacations. 

He  was  in  charge  of  the  Chapel  of  the  Episcopal 
Theological  School,  in  Cambridge,  Massachusetts,  during 
two  seasons.  One  summer  he  spent  in  Germantown, 


MINISTERIAL  WORK  AND  ASSOCIATIONS.       233 

and  preached  for  two  months  at  the  Church  of  the 
Transfiguration,  in  West  Philadelphia,  of  which  his  son- 
in-law  was  temporarily  in  charge. 

During  the  first  three  years  of  Dr.  Meier-Smith's  pro- 
fessorship he  wrote  few  sermons,  as  his  time  for  study 
was  engrossed  by  his  necessary  work  for  the  Divinity 
School.  After  this,  and  during  his  four  years'  connec- 
tion with  the  parish  of  St.  James's,  he  often  wrote  two 
or  three  sermons  in  a  month,  returning  with  vigor  to  his 
old  work. 

Kecalling  the  main  features  of  Dr.  Meier-Smith's 
preaching,  as  remembered  by  many,  and  verifying  the 
impression  by  looking  over  his  "  Eecord  of  Services,"  the 
distinctly  evangelical  character  appears  which  marked 
all  his  previous  work.  The  epithet  is  not  used  in  any 
party  sense,  for  in  these  late  years  he  seldom  wrote  or 
preached  a  strictly  theological  discourse.  The  blessed 
Gospel  message,  in  its  simplicity  and  fulness,  he  loved 
more  and  more  to  deliver.  Probably  he  cared  less  than 
formerly  for  oratorical  effect,  and  he  certainly  preached 
more  quietly.  But  in  fervor,  in  pathos,  in  earnestness, 
and  with  increasing  solemnity,  he  "  preached  Christ." 
The  Life  and  Words  of  the  Blessed  Lord  were  his  favor- 
ite themes  ;  mere  ethical  topics  were  seldom  chosen.  In 
the  last  three  years  there  were  many  sermons  preached 
relating  to  the  Future  Life.  He  read  much,  and  thought 
deeply  upon  eschatological  subjects;  and  the  sermons  in- 
spired by  this  line  of  study  glowed  with  an  enthusiasm 
born  of  his  enlarged  and  hopeful  views.  On  many  points 
he  agreed  substantially  with  some  of  the  advanced 
writers  in  the  Anglican  Church,  and  while  he  was  care- 
ful not  to  speak  dogmatically  on  subjects  not  of  positive 
revelation,  he  spoke  frankly  and  openly  of  his  growing 
convictions,  and  his  belief  in  the  "  Larger  Hope." 


234       MINISTERIAL  WORK   AND  ASSOCIATIONS. 

The  complete  union  of  the  believer  with  his  Lord,  — 
Christ  formed  in  him,  —  was  a  favorite  theme,  with  the 
precious  truths  flowing  therefrom  for  strengthening  and 
consolation.  The  present  life,  as  but  the  commence- 
ment of  the  grander  stage  of  being,  and  that  there  is 
"  no  death  for  the  one  in  Christ,"  were  truths  he  em- 
phasized in  all  their  phases,  as  those  who  heard  him 
frequently  can  testify.  Christ,  the  Second  Adam,  the 
Head  of  a  Eedeemed  Race,  was  another  favorite  sub- 
ject, and,  inseparable  from  this,  brotherhood  in  Christ 
for  all  believers,  and  the  hope  of  the  "  Universal 
Brotherhood,"  the  bringing  in  of  the  "  Fulness  of  the 
Gentiles."  The  notes  of  an  increasing  spirituality,  and 
of  a  tender  sympathy  with  human  needs,  witnessing  to 
his  own  deepening  inner  life,  were  discerned  in  all  the 
preaching  of  these  years.  A  sense  of  failing  physical 
strength,  of  which  he  was  doubtless  conscious,  probably 
led  his  thoughts  in  the  directions  indicated.  The 
shadow  of  the  future,  or  shall  we  rather  say,  the  light 
of  the  setting  sun,  fell  upon  him,  and  his  spirit  was 
thereby  stirred  to  its  inmost  depths. 

Never  had  Dr.  Meier-Smith  enjoyed  such  opportuni- 
ties for  fraternal  intercourse  with  those  of  his  own  pro- 
fession, as  during  these  Philadelphia  years.  Bishop 
Stevens,  a  man  of  model  life,  wise  and  tender  in  all  his 
administration,  and  in  bearing  a  true  Christian  gentle- 
man, was  well  beloved  by  all  his  clergy.  There  was 
much  that  was  sympathetic  between  him  and  Dr. 
Meier-Smith,  who  was  greatly  drawn  to  him.  Discus- 
sion of  matters  bearing  on  the  interests  of  the  Divinity 
School  brought  him  and  the  Bishop  much  together, 
and  very  affectionate  relations  existed  between  them. 
Among  the  parish  clergy  some  of  his  most  intimate 
friends  were  the  Rev.  Drs.  Miller,  Watson,  Currie,  and 


MINISTERIAL  WORK  AND  ASSOCIATIONS.       235 

McVickar,  with  several  of  the  younger  rectors,  to  whom 
he  loved  to  give  assistance  as  they  needed  it.  He  was 
freely  called  upon  for  help,  and  as  freely  responded. 
Scarcely  an  unemployed  Sunday  appears  in  his  "  Record." 

In  1879,  from  Epiphany  nearly  to  the  close  of  Lent, 
he  officiated  regularly  at  Holy  Trinity  Memorial  Chapel. 
In  February,  1881,  his  connection  commenced  with  St. 
James's  Church.  For  nearly  four  years  it  was  his  par- 
ish church,  and  he  was  the  Sector's  assistant  in  the 
pulpit,  taking  part  in  the  service  if  he  did  not  preach. 
The  venerable  Dr.  Morton,  for  more  than  fifty  years 
Eector  of  this  parish,  and  whom  he  had  frequently 
served  before  this  regular  engagement,  was  taken  ill  in 
February,  1881,  while  away  from  Philadelphia,  and  Dr. 
Meier-Smith  became  the  preacher  in  charge  until  Dr. 
Morton's  recovery,  and  continued  to  assist  him  every 
Sunday  until  the  summer  vacation.  He  also  delivered 
a  course  of  Lent  lectures.  In  the  winter  of  1882  he 
gave  a  course  of  Confirmation  lectures  at  St.  James's, 
and  conducted  a  weekly  Bible  instruction  by  invitation 
of  a  number  of  ladies. 

Between  Dr.  Morton  and  himself  there  grew  up  a 
loving  friendship  which  continued  to  the  last.  When, 
in  the  year  1890,  the  venerable  Rector  of  St.  James's 
was  called  to  the  service  of  the  Upper  Temple,  he  had 
been  sixty  years  in  this  his  only  parochial  charge,  and 
three  generations  of  loving  parishioners  mourned  his 
departure.  With  the  congregation  of  St.  James's  the 
pleasantest  social  relations  existed,  and  Dr.  Meier-Smith 
found  again  a  renewal  of  the  work  always  dear  to  him, 
when,  now  and  then,  he  was  asked  to  assist  in  parochial 
visitation,  and  to  administer  consolation  and  help  to 
the  afflicted  or  perplexed,  to  the  inquirer  or  the 
mourner. 


236       MINISTERIAL  WORK  AND  ASSOCIATIONS. 

The  whole  term  of  his  service  with  this  parish  was 
one  of  unbroken  satisfaction.  He  could  have  had  no 
position  more  thoroughly  to  his  mind,  and  it  was  a 
cause  of  gratitude,  that  he  could  in  this  way  supple- 
ment the  work  of  his  professorship,  without  any  inter- 
ference with  its  duties. 

Among  letters  received  giving  impressions  of  Dr. 
Meier-Smith's  preaching,  there  is  copied,  by  permission, 
one  from  Miss  M.  P.  McClellan,  a  lady  for  whom  he 
cherished  a  warm  regard.  She  thus  relates  an  incident 
of  her  first  acquaintance  with  him :  — 

"...  I  honored  and  loved  Dr.  Meier-Smith,  and  have 
mourned  his  loss  as  one  whom  the  world  needed,  and  whom 
the  Church  could  ill  afford  to  spare.  I  counted  it  a  privilege 
to  know  him,  aud  greatly  valued  his  warm  friendship.  I 
shall  never  forget  the  occasion  when  I  first  became  acquainted 
with  him.  It  was  on  an  Easter  evening,  1880,  I  think,  at 
Holy  Trinity  Memorial  Chapel.  I  had  frequently  heard  Dr. 
Meier-Smith  preach  before,  with  great  appreciation  of  his  fine 
sermons,  but  that  Easter  sermon  was  so  grand  that  I  felt 
impelled  to  speak  to  him  and  thank  him  for  it.  I  asked  a 
friend  to  introduce  me  to  him,  and  he  received  me  with  such 
a  kind  and  cordial  greeting,  that  he  won  my  confidence  im- 
mediately. After  a  delightful  little  conversation  in  which 
he  spoke  of  the  joy  with  which  he  always  pondered  and  wrote 
about  the  subject  of  the  resurrection,  I  turned  to  pass  down 
the  aisle,  when  I  heard  him  call  my  name  repeatedly,  until  I 
turned  and  went  back  to  where  he  stood  on  the  chancel  steps 
in  his  surplice,  and  well  do  I  remember  the  earnest,  eager 
expression  of  his  bright  face,  as  he  said,  '  Miss  McClellan. 
after  awhile  we  shall  know  all  about  these  things !  We  shall 
know  for  ourselves  !'  His  manner  and  the  tone  in  which  he 
spoke  impressed  me  greatly.  I  understood  how  real,  and  how 
near,  the  future  life  seemed  to  him.  From  that  time  I  can 
recall  many  and  many  an  occasion  when  Dr.  Meier-Smith's 


MINISTERIAL   WORK   AND   ASSOCIATIONS.       237 

valuable  instruction  as  a  teacher,  and  his  cheering  words 
and  ready  sympathy,  helped  and  strengthened  rne.  I  once 
received  a  little  note  from  him  which  I  have  prized  as  show- 
ing how  pure  and  true  was  his  love  for  the  Master  whom  he 
served.  He  wrote,  'I  must  thank  you  for  the  beautiful 
Christmas  card  you  sent  me,  and  most  particularly  for  your 
kind  words  added.  And  I  want  to  say  that  more  than  any 
possible  plaudits  or  honors,  do  I  prize  just  such  expressions 
from  members  of  Christ's  flock,  telling  me  that  through 
some  poor  ministry  of  mine,  the  dear  Lord  has  come  nearer 
to  them  and  blessed  them.'  When  I  next  met  him  he 
repeated  what  he  had  written,  and  the  tears  in  his  eyes 
proved  the  sincerity  of  his  words." 

Dr.  Meier-Smith  was  a  member  of  the  "  Clericus 
Club,"  and  highly  prized  its  meetings.  The  members 
were  men  of  wide  culture  and  independent  thought, 
and  their  discussions  were  refreshing  and  stimulat- 
ing. He  compared  it  often  to  his  old  Boston  Club, 
the  "  Winthrop,"  referred  to  in  the  sketch  of  his  life  in 
Brookline. 

It  has  been  difficult  to  choose  from  among  the  many 
letters  which  have  been  received,  testifying  to  the  place 
Dr.  Meier-Smith  held  in  the  respect  and  affection  of  his 
clerical  brethren. 

The  extracts  which  follow  are  typical  of  nearly  all, 
every  one  of  which  bore  its  own  message  of  sympathy 
and  consolation.  To  the  hearts  so  sorely  stricken,  such 
words  of  appreciation  were  grateful  beyond  expression. 

With  the  Rev.  Dr.  D.  S.  Miller,  Dr.  Meier-Smith  was 
very  intimate.  The  tender  words  written  by  Dr.  Miller 
a  few  days  after  the  shock  of  his  friend's  sudden  death, 
are  given  here.  The  last  sentence  seems  prophetic,  as 
within  a  few  months  he  also  entered  into  rest,  after  a 
Ions  life  of  faithful  service  in  the  Church. 


238       MINISTERIAL  WORK  AND  ASSOCIATIONS. 

".  .  .  I  must  say  a  word  to  you  about  the  loss  of  our 
dear  friend.  I  should  have  done  it  before,  but  1  have  been 
ill  and  without  energy  these  few  days,  and  somehow  I 
did  n't  feel  like  writing  a  letter  of  condolence  to  the  wife, 
and  in  formal  fashion.  For  he  was  so  true  a  man,  —  so 
loyal,  so  kind,  so  tender,  so  much  above  words  himself, 
that  only  one's  heart  should  speak  of  him,  and  mine  does. 
I  can  hardly  name  a  man  in  the  ministry  whose  loss  I  shall 
feel  so  much,  —  as  if  a  light  had  gone  out  from  our  horizon. 
God  be  thanked,  we  know  it  is  well  with  him,  and  he  has 
gone  to  reap  his  full  reward  !  And  we  who  are  all  getting 
among  the  shadows  of  the  way  must  soon  join  him.  The 
Lord  comfort  you,  and  give  you  strength  !  " 

From  the  Rev.  Dr.  C.  G.  Currie. 

".  .  .  I  honored  him  not  only  for  his  ability,  but  for  his 
noble  qualities  as  a  man.  He  was  a  man  all  through,  — 
incapable  of  a  mean  action,  or  of  an  uncharitable  word  con- 
cerning any  one.  He  had  the  qualities  that  cant  pretends 
to  have,  but  he  abhorred  the  cant." 

From  the  Rev.  Dr.  W.  F.  Paddock. 
"...  His  memory  will  be  fresh  and  fragrant,  his  example 
stimulating  and  beneficent  to  his  friends,  clerical  and  lay, 
who  have  been  in  any  way  associated  with  him.  It  is  a 
glorious  thing  to  leave  behind  such  a  pure  and  stainless 
record." 

From  the  Rev.  Professor  Peters. 

"...  I  shall  venture  to  copy  and  send  you  the  following 
passage  from  a  sermon  I  preached  in  New  York  on  Whit- 
sunday: 'On  my  mantelpiece  stands  the  photograph  of  a 
late  colleague  of  my  own,  and  every  time  I  look  at  it  the 
memory  of  certain  beautiful  traits  comes  up  before  me,  and 
above  all  of  a  peculiar  thoughtfulness  and  consideration  of 
the  feelings  of  every  one  with  whom  he  came  in  contact ;  and 
a  spirit  is  present  that  bids  me  seek  to  acquire  that  same 


MINISTERIAL  WORK  AND  ASSOCIATIONS.      239 

thoughtfulness,  that  same  consideration  for  the  feelings  of 
others,  which  was  in  him  so  lovely.  This  spirit  for  their 
help  he  has  bequeathed  to  those  who  knew  him.' " 

From  the  Rev.  A.  H.    Vinton. 

"...  Every  word  said  of  your  dear  husband  is  true, 
and  much  more  could  be  added  of  his  manliness  and  truth, 
his  breadth  of  mind,  his  charity,  his  strength  of  friendship 
and  encouragement  of  the  young  minds  that  were  trying  to 
find  themselves. 

"  Rather  used  to  snubbing  from  my  elders  in  the  ministry, 
I  shall  never  forget  the  kindness  shown,  over  and  over,  to  me 
by  the  Doctor,  and  the  memory  of  his  friendship  shall  be 
ever  sweet  and  lasting  to  me.  Something  of  this  I  tried  to 
say  to  you,  telling  you  how  deeply  and  truly  I  sorrowed  with 
you,  when  the  sudden  news  came  last  spring,  but  I  was  in- 
terrupted. I  am  very  glad  even  at  this  late  day  to  be  able 
to  tell  you  what  has  been  so  long  in  my  heart,  for  I  have 
mourned  the  loss  of  a  noble  friend,  and,  as  it  seemed,  the  too 
early  death  of  a  son  the  Church  could,  in  these  days  of  ill- 
balanced  minds,  little  afford  to  lose." 

From  the  Rev.  J.  W.  Ashton. 

" .  .  .  I  have  felt  myself  unequal  to  the  task  of  express- 
ing myself  in  relation  to  the  subject  which  the  memorial 
pamphlet  suggests.  I  say  '  task/  but  never  should  I  say 
that  in  relation  to  anything  which  concerns,  or  is  associated 
with,  the  memory  of  your  dear  husband ;  and  yet  the  ex- 
pression of  my  feelings  on  account  of  his  departure  from  us 
amounts  to  that ;  because  I  do  not  know  what  words  to 
employ  when  speaking  of  his  unselfishness  and  nobleness  of 
character,  of  his  friendliness  and  sweetness  of  disposition. 
He  was  my  friend,  and  in  more  ways  than  one  I  am  under 
obligation  to  him,  —  if  one  friend  can  be  under  obligation  to 
another,  —  for  words  and  deeds  the  recollection  of  which  will 
never  fade  from  my  mind.  As  the  season  draws  on  I  shall 


240        MINISTERIAL   WORK  AND  ASSOCIATIONS. 

remember  again,  as  I  have  often  done  since,  how  he  preached 
for  me  at  Grace  Church  on  a  certain  Christmas  Day  when 
my  dear  mother's  death  and  my  father's  dangerous  illness 
rendered  me  unfit  for  the  functions  of  the  pulpit.  He 
preached  for  me  several  times  besides  then.  I  used  to  tell 
him  that  I  never  could  repay  him  for  his  assistance.  I  re- 
gret that  I  never  was  able  to  do  so.  Nevertheless,  I  shall 
leave  the  payment  of  that  debt  to  the  Lord,  who  I  know 
will  repay  him  tenfold,  yes,  a  hundredfold,  for  all  his  kind- 
ness and  love,  —  '  And  the  King  shall  answer,  and  say  unto 
them,  Verily,  I  say  unto  you,  inasmuch  as  ye  have  done  it 
unto  one  of  the  least  of  these  my  brethren,  ye  have  done  it 
unto  me.'  Dr.  Meier-Smith  was  a  man  whom  I  knew  and 
was  associated  with,  in  one  way  and  another,  under  peculiar 
and  diverse  circumstances,  and  I  have  never  known  him  to 
be  anything  else  than  large-hearted  and  broad-minded. 

"  My  simple  tribute  to  the  value  of  Dr.  Meier-Smith  as  a 
friend  and  fellow-minister  may  not  prove  to  be  altogether 
unacceptable.  I  deeply  sympathize  with  you  and  your 
family  in  your  great  sorrow. 

"  I  wish  to  add  that  the  first  intelligence  of  Dr.  Meier- 
Smith's  death  reached  me  through  Bishop  Coxe,  with  whom 
I  have  enjoyed  many  pleasant  conversations  concerning  your 
husband.  The  Bishop  cherishes  sweet  memories  of  Dr. 
Meier-Smith,  and  it  is  agreeable  to  talk  with  one  who  knew 
him  so  well,  and  loved  him  so  dearly." 

From  the  Rt.  Rev.  0.  W.  Wkitaker,  D.D.,  Bishop  of 
Pennsylvania. 

"...  I  write  now  to  tell  you  how  just  and  true  I  feel 
that  all  these  loving  words  which  have  been  written  of  your 
husband  are.  They  tell  only  what  all  who  knew  him  could 
testify,  and  there  is  no  exaggeration  in  them.  I  feel  his 
death  as  a  personal  loss.  He  had  always  been  so  kind  to 
me,  that  I  looked  forward  with  pleasure  to  the  hours  I 
hoped  we  might  spend  together." 


XVIII. 

HOME  LIFE. 

'T'HE  chief  object  of  these  pages  has  been  to  present 
JL  a  sketch  of  Dr.  Meier-Smith's  life  as  related  to 
the  work  he  was  permitted  to  do  for  Christ  and  the 
Church,  and  only  incidental  reference  has  been  hitherto 
made  to  the  place  he  filled  in  his  family. 

The  curtain  must  be  slightly  lifted  now,  for  if  the 
sketch  is  not  partially  filled  in,  —  if  some  suggestion 
of  him  in  his  home  is  not  attempted,  —  it  must  fail  as 
a  life  likeness.  The  hand  which  has  held  the  pen  with 
such  calm  impartiality  as  it  could  command,  trembles 
now;  and  the  heart  which  has  been  bidden  to  hide 
that  which  was  nearest  to  itself  beats  more  rapidly,  as 
memories  of  the  home  life  of  the  last  years,  so  full  of 
benediction  to  his  own  family,  are  to  be  briefly  re- 
corded. These  later  years  were  marked  by  more  ex- 
clusive enjoyment  of  his  home  than  any  that  preceded 
them.  When  not  engaged  in  his  public  duties,  Dr. 
Meier-Smith  had  but  few  of  the  interruptions  to  hours 
of  quiet  and  domestic  peace  which  had  been  inseparable 
from  his  life  as  a  parish  clergyman.  To  one  of  his  do- 
mestic tastes  this  gave  great  satisfaction,  and  a  tendency 
to  retirement  at  his  own  fireside  grew  upon  him  with 
advancing  years.  He  could  rarely  be  induced  to  seek 
recreation  for  himself  without  his  family.  Now  and 
then  he  yielded  to  entreaties  of  friends,  and  promised  to 
join  them  in  some  jaunt  or  excursion ;  but  ever  when 
16 


242  HOME   LIFE. 

the  time  came  he  found  some  plausible  reason  for  stay- 
ing at  home.  So  it  came  to  pass  that,  excepting  for  a 
night  or  two  at  a  time  when  called  away  on  business, 
he  never  went  from  home,  save  during  the  summer 
vacations,  and  in  company  with  his  wife  and  children. 

Though  the  years  flowed  quietly  on,  they  were  not 
without  events  of  deep  interest  to  the  family  circle.  In 
December,  1876,  Dr.  Meier-Smith's  only  sister,  Mrs. 
Robert  Jaffray,  died,  after  long  years  of  suffering  borne 
with  heroic  patience.  Beloved  for  her  beautiful  Chris- 
tian character,  her  loss  was  great  to  her  family  and 
friends,  and  this  bereavement  was  keenly  felt  by  her 
devoted  brother.  They  were  much  alike  in  sweetness 
of  disposition,  in  sprightliness  and  buoyancy,  and  in 
true  unselfishness. 

The  marriage  of  Dr.  Meier-Smith's  daughter,  Emily 
Stuart,  to  the  Rev.  Henry  Ogden  Du  Bois  took  place  on 
the  sixteenth  of  May,  1878.  The  ceremony  was  per- 
formed in  St.  Luke's  Church,  her  father  officiating,  as- 
sisted by  the  Rector,  Rev.  Dr.  Currie.  To  part  with 
this  dear  child  and  only  daughter,  whose  devoted  min- 
istrations were  made  so  necessary  by  the  delicate  health 
of  her  mother  and  brother,  would  have  been  a  great 
trial.  In  the  kind  Providence  of  God  no  separation 
was  called  for,  which  was  a  cause  of  devout  gratitude 
to  the  loving  father,  to  whom  his  son-in-law  became  as 
dear  as  an  own  son. 

The  summers  of  1877  and  1878  were  passed  at  Cam- 
bridge, Massachusetts.  These  summers  he  greatly  en- 
joyed. The  influence  of  the  University  pervades  the 
classic  old  town.  In  every  direction  drives  and  excur- 
sions are  of  a  delightful  character,  as  all  know  who  are 
familiar  with  Boston's  beautiful  suburbs.  Boston  itself, 
with  its  memories  of  his  early  ministerial  work,  pos- 


HOME  LIFE.  243 

sessed  a  great  attraction  for  him,  and  occasionally  there 
was  the  pleasure  of  meeting  the  familiar  face  of  some 
dear  friend  of  the  long  past  years. 

The  slow  progress  toward  recovery  of  his  son,  so 
constantly  a  tender  care  to  the  father,  was  an  abiding 
source  of  anxiety,  and  doubtless  contributed  much  to 
his  indisposition  to  join  in  any  but  the  quietest  of  home 
pleasures.  Yet  there  was  enough  gain  to  inspire  hope, 
and  he  was  often  able  to  be  a  most  enjoyable  companion 
to  his  father.  By  Dr.  Meier-Smith's  own  desire,  his  study 
was  his  son's  sitting-room.  The  presence  of  one  who 
bore  his  heavy  cross  with  almost  unvarying  sweetness 
and  patience  was  never  disturbing  to  the  father  when 
studying  or  resting.  Once  he  said  to  his  wife,  "Norman 
does  not  know  how  many  sermons  he  has  inspired!" 
For  years  he  was  his  son's  companion  in  the  daily  walk 
for  exercise.  Many  an  invitation  or  proposed  plan  was 
cheerfully  laid  aside  to  give  place  to  this  sacred  duty. 

The  birth  of  a  granddaughter  in  March,  1879,  brought 
a  new  joy  into  the  household,  and  the  delight  with 
which  her  grandfather  welcomed  her  grew  with  her 
lovely  infant  life.  "  Did  I  love  my  own  little  ones  as 
much,  I  wonder  ? "  he  often  asked.  Certainly,  in  the 
more  hurried  days  of  his  earlier  work,  he  found  less  time 
to  enjoy  them.  His  comment  upon  the  name  given  her 
was,  "  How  could  it  be  improved  !  Mary  Constance  ! 
The  name  of  all  among  women  dearest  to  the  Chris- 
tian heart,  added  to  the  most  characteristic  of  womanly 
virtues  ! "  He  chronicled  every  budding  gift  and  grace, 
and  was  a  proud  man  when  the  little  maiden  was  old 
enough  to  be  his  companion  in  a  walk  or  drive.  Nothing 
was  too  much  to  do  for  this  little  princess,  who  repaid 
his  affection  by  her  marked  preference  for  him  as  play- 
mate and  obedient  attendant.  From  her  infancy  it  was 


244  HOME  LIFE. 

his  pleasure  to  cany  her  up  the  two  long  flights  of 
stairs,  when  the  hour  for  bed  came.  Whatever  he  was 
doing,  —  reading  or  sermon- writing,  —  it  was  laid  aside 
the  moment  the  little  voice  was  heard  at  the  foot  of 
the  staircase,  "  Grandpapa,  I  'm  waiting  for  my  pony  ! " 
This  was  kept  up  until  she  was  so  large  a  girl  that 
every  one  remonstrated.  But  not  until  his  own  severe 
illness,  when  she  was  six  years  old,  interrupted  it,  would 
the  fond  grandfather  resign  this  loving  service. 

A  few  weeks  in  the  summer  of  1879  were  spent  in 
the  rural  seclusion  of  Crosswicks,  New  Jersey,  and  Dr. 
Meier-Smith  preached  nearly  every  Sunday  for  his  friend, 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Du  Bois,  then  Rector  there. 

The  Rev.  William  R.  MacKay,  who  chanced  to  hear 
him  preach  once  during  that  summer,  wrote  after  the 
death  of  Dr.  Meier-Smith  of  the  abiding  impression  pro- 
duced upon  him  by  the  sermon  he  heard  on  that  occasion 
in  the  following  words  :  — 

"...  The  closing  words  of  the  memorial  pamphlet  are 
like  a  picture,  and  just  the  picture  of  his  real  self  which  he 
left  deeply  impressed  upon  my  own  mind,  as  the  true  self- 
hood of  the  man.  The  one  sermon  which  I  heard  him 
preach  was  a  revelation  to  me  of  what  true  preaching  is ; 
it  changed  my  whole  idea,  and  I  hope  has  made  me  some- 
thing of  a  real  preacher  to  my  fellowmen. 

"  I  shall  always  be  grateful  to  him.  That  sermon  is  al- 
ways before  my  mind  as  a  model,  —  so  simple,  so  clear,  so  full 
of  help  for  man  in  trouble,  and  the  preacher  lost  in  the  mes- 
sage that  he  had  to  tell !  '  Grant  him  Eternal  Rest,  0  Lord, 
and  let  Light  Perpetual  shine  upon  him  ! '  " 

The  vacation  in  1880  was  passed  in  Bridgeport. 
There  were  yet  old  friends  and  parishioners  remain- 
ing there,  and  to  meet  them,  and  recall  the  past,  was 


HOME  LIFE.  245 

very  pleasant.  He  had  a  remarkable  memory  for  names 
and  faces  once  familiar,  and  seldom  failed  to  recognize 
both,  with  his  ever-ready  cordiality,  although  years 
might  have  passed  since  a  meeting. 

The  quaint  old  town  of  East  Hampton,  Long  Island, 
was  the  summer  resting-place  of  the  family  in  1882. 
Nowhere  on  the  Atlantic  coast  are  the  changing  moods 
of  the  ocean  more  invigorating  than  on  the  south  shore 
of  Long  Island.  It  was  an  inspiring,  health-giving  sum- 
mer, much  needed  after  a  year  of  especially  laborious 
work. 

The  next  year  a  cottage  was  taken  at  New  Eochelle, 
near  the  old  homestead,  the  choice  of  this  place  being 
made  in  consequence  of  the  failing  health  of  Dr.  Meier- 
Smith's  father,  and  also  of  his  father-in-law,  who  was 
then  residing  there.  Early  in  June  his  wife's  father  en- 
tered into  rest,  after  a  long  illness.  In  the  city  of  New 
York,  with  which  his  honored  name  was  identified  for 
more  than  fifty  years,  Norman  White  will  not  soon  be 
forgotten  as  a  man  of  marked  force  and  grace  of  char- 
acter. Fruitful  in  all  good  works  and  prominent  in  all 
religious  circles,  he  is  especially  remembered  hi  connec- 
tion with  his  service  in  the  Management  of  the  American 
Bible  Society,  and  in  that  of  the  Sabbath  Committee,  of 
which  he  was  one  of  the  founders.  Eight  children  sur- 
vived this  revered  and  beloved  father. 

The  long  life  of  Dr.  Albert  Smith,  Dr.  Meier-Smith's 
father,  closed  in  February,  1884,  at  the  venerable  age 
of  eighty-five  years.  Though  feeble  in  health,  he  re- 
tained his  mental  vigor  to  the  last.  He  died  at  his  old 
home  at  New  Eochelle,  whither  his  son  made  frequent 
pilgrimages  for  consolation  and  solace  to  his  loneliness. 
Dr.  Meier-Smith  parted  with  his  father  on  the  day  be- 
fore his  death,  not  knowing  that  the  end  was  so  near, 


246  HOME  LIFE. 

and  had  scarcely  returned  to  Philadelphia  before  he 
heard  of  his  release. 

Early  in  this  year  Dr.  Meier-Smith's  family  observed 
signs  which  indicated  that  he  was  in  a  less  vigorous 
state  of  health,  but  his  work  went  on  as  usual,  and  it 
was  only  the  anxious  eye  of  love  that  detected  them. 
Sometimes  after  hearing  him  preach  his  wife  would  say 
to  him,  "  Did  you  not  feel  well  this  morning  ?  I  no- 
ticed that  you  were  very  quiet,  and  that  your  voice  had 
less  than  its  usual  power."  The  answer  in  a  cheerful 
tone  was  almost  invariably,  "  Is  it  so  ?  I  was  not  con- 
scious of  it  at  the  time,  but  now  it  seems  to  me  that  I 
was  not  quite  up  to  '  concert  pitch.' "  In  his  Diary, 
are  found  frequently  recurring  remarks  that  indicate  a 
lowered  physical  tone.  "  I  found  myself  unusually  tired 

after  my  walk  to  the  Divinity  School."  "  Dr.  M 

urged  me  to  go  to  the  Epiphany  this  morning  [regular 
meeting  of  the  Clerical  Brotherhood],  but  knowing  I 
was  not  in  trim  for  the  debate,  I  excused  myself." 
Still  no  one  thought  him  seriously  threatened. 

An  event  which  called  out  his  ever-ready  sympathy 
occurred  in  May  of  this  year,  when  death  entered  for 
the  first  time  the  large  circle  of  brothers  and  sisters,  so 
dear  to  him  by  his  marriage.  A  brother-in-law  much 
beloved  since  they  were  together  in  England,  in  1871, 
entered  into  rest  after  three  years  of  great  suffering. 
Dr.  Meier-Smith  was  much  with  him  during  the  early 
part  of  his  illness,  doing  all  that  was  in  his  power  to 
help  and  comfort  him  and  his  family. 

In  the  year  1884,  a  purpose  long  in  mind  was  car- 
ried out,  and  Old  Lyme  in  Connecticut,  the  home  of 
his  paternal  ancestors,  was  chosen  for  the  summer  vaca- 
tion. It  is  a  quaint  and  picturesque  town,  beautifully 
situated  where  the  Connecticut  River  loses  itself  in 


HOME  LIFE.  247 

Long  Island  Sound.  A  very  pleasant  sojourn  was 
anticipated,  during  which  researches  were  to  be  made 
among  the  localities  sacred  to  his  father's  kindred. 

There  being  a  number  of  Episcopalians  in  the  place 
with  no  church  of  their  own,  Dr.  Meier-Smith  com- 
menced to  hold  services  in  the  cottage  parlor.  But  all 
plans  were  abandoned  when,  after  a  few  days,  an  ill- 
ness began  which  lasted  the  entire  summer.  A  malig- 
nant carbuncle  appeared  on  the  back  of  his  neck,  and 
rapidly  assumed  alarming  proportions.  Many  weeks 
of  intense  suffering  followed,  endured  with  heroic  forti- 
tude. Dr.  J.  H.  Packard,  his  family  physician,  was 
sent  for,  and  performed  an  operation  that  gave  some 
relief,  but  which  was  followed  by  great  prostration, 
from  continued  high  fever.  The  surgeon  when  he  left 
him  had  serious  fears  as  to  the  result,  and  undoubt- 
edly Dr.  Meier-Smith  was  for  a  month  in  great  danger. 
Convalescence  began  in  August,  but  it  was  not  until 
November  that  he  was  able  to  resume  any  work.  Ap- 
parently he  owed  his  life  to  the  skilful  and  unwearied 
care  of  an  admirable  nurse,  whose  ministrations  he  re- 
membered gratefully.  As  may  be  supposed,  the  whole 
summer  was  one  of  sad  care  and  anxiety,  overshadowed 
with  the  fear  that  he  had  come  to  the  home  of  his  an- 
cestors, which  he  had  never  visited  before,  only  to  die 
there.  But  his  life  was  given  back  to  the  prayers  of 
those  who  loved  him,  and  it  was  a  life  consecrated  afresh 
to  the  service  of  his  Lord  and  Master.  As  soon  as  recov- 
ery seemed  assured,  a  thanksgiving  celebration  of  the 
Holy  Communion  was  held  in  the  parlor  of  the  little 
cottage.  At  the  close  of  the  service  he  whispered  to 
his  wife,  "  I  pray  that  henceforth  my  life  may  show 
something  of  the  experience  through  which  I  have 
been  led.  May  my  life  be  '  hid  in  Christ ' ! "  In  other 


248  HOME  LIFE. 

conversations  he  told  her  that  during  the  days  and 
nights  of  extreme  pain  and  weakness,  when  unable  to 
speak,  he  had  received  views  of  the  glory  of  God,  of 
the  love  of  Christ,  and  of  the  power  of  faith  to  support 
in  the  darkest  hours,  which  were  well  worth  all  the 
suffering.  "  Life  and  death  have  put  on  a  new  mean- 
ing to  nie."  From  this  time  until  he  rested  from  his 
labors,  there  was  a  marked  change  in  him,  which  was 
noticeable  to  all  who  saw  much  of  him.  He  never 
regained  his  physical  vigor,  and  it  is  probable  that  a 
disease  was  slowly  progressing,  of  which  the  visitation 
of  the  summer  was  a  symptom.  It  is  a  wonder  to  his 
family  now  that  they  were  not  more  alarmed  at  the 
increasing  signs  of  enfeeblement.  But  they  were  slight 
and  subtle,  and  he  made  so  light  of  them  himself  that 
it  was  easy  to  put  the  fears  at  rest,  with  the  hope  that 
the  fine  constitution  which  had  carried  him  through  so 
much,  would  certainly  rally  in  time,  and  that  many 
years  were  to  be  added  to  the  life  now  more  precious 
than  ever  to  those  who  had  so  nearly  lost  him.  The 
six  months  which  passed  before  Dr.  Meier-Smith 
preached  again,  and  the  half  year  spent  in  Europe, 
make  up  the  one  twelve-month  which  is  lacking  to 
complete  a  record  of  forty  years  continual  service  in 
the  pulpit.  It  was  two  years  before  he  ceased  to  be 
fettered  by  the  stiffness  of  neck,  and  sensitiveness  of 
brain,  caused  by  the  terrible  carbuncle.  That  he  made 
as  fair  a  recovery  as  he  did  was  a  surprise  to  his  physi- 
cians. Often  does  his  wife  recall  meeting  him  unex- 
pectedly in  the  street,  and  noting  from  a  distance,  with 
sinking  of  heart,  the  slow  step  and  slight  stoop  which 
had  taken  the  place  of  the  erect  carriage  and  firm 
tread  of  former  years.  "Is  he  growing  old  before  the 
time  ?  "  she  asked  herself.  Other  signs  which  will  be 


HOME  LIFE.  249 

spoken  of  hereafter  might  have  told  her  that  he  did 
not  expect  to  see  the  length  of  days  given  to  his  father 
and  to  so  many  of  his  ancestors. 

In  the  summer  of  1885  the  beautiful  town  of  Litch- 
field  among  the  hills  of  North-western  Connecticut 
was  selected  as  the  place  of  rest.  It  is  an  old  historic 
town,  memorable  as  the  birthplace  of  many  whose 
names  are  identified  with  the  early  history  of  the 
nation.  The  house  occupied  by  Dr.  Meier-Smith's 
family  dated  from  Revolutionary  days,  and  retained 
some  old  Colonial  marks  The  drives  abound  with 
charming  views  of  hill  and  valley,  with  the  mountains 
of  Berkshire  in  the  distance.  The  elevation  is  high, 
and  the  air  invigorating.  For  the  first  time  in  some 
years  Dr.  Meier-Smith  enjoyed  driving  himself,  and 
many  hours  precious  to  memory  were  passed  with  his 
wife  in  exploring  this  lovely  country.  Litchfield  at- 
tracts to  itself  a  refined  and  intelligent  circle  of  sum- 
mer residents,  Yale  University  being  especially  well 
represented.  In  this  congenial  society,  some  friends 
of  the  old  Boston  days  were  met  for  the  first  time  in 
many  years. 

While  he  made  much  gain  in  strength,  the  elevation 
of  Litchfield  proved  very  unfavorable  to  his  wife  and 
son.  Thus  again  his  solicitude  for  those  dear  to  him 
clouded  the  summer,  and  he  failed  to  realize  all  the 
anticipated  benefit. 

During  this  vacation  he  preached  a  number  of  times 
at  St.  Michael's  Church.  The  following  remark  of  a 
lady  whom  he  met  in  Litchfield  gives  an  intima- 
tion of  the  impression  he  made  upon  strangers.  She 
said,  "  I  can  never  forget  that  lovely  Dr.  Meier-Smith. 
I  only  saw  him  a  few  times,  but  words  of  his  have 
helped  me  ever  since.  No  one  ever  came  into  my  life 


250  HOME  LIFE. 

for  so  short  a  time  who  did  so  much  for  me  and  left 
such  a  lasting  impression." 

Dr.  Meier-Smith  was  sufficiently  acquainted  with  the 
premonitory  symptoms  of  the  disease  which  was  slowly 
sapping  his  strength,  to  have  detected  them ;  and,  as 
the  succeeding  months  are  remembered,  the  conviction 
grows  that  he  believed  his  days  to  be  numbered,  feared 
that  there  was  no  remedy,  and  was  unwilling  to  seek 
a  medical  verdict  upon  his  case,  because  of  his  deter- 
mination to  spare  his  family,  as  long  as  possible, 
the  distress  of  hearing  an  unfavorable  opinion.  At 
all  events  he  insisted  that  he  needed  no  medical  aid, 
and  was  "doing  well  enough."  Indeed  he  appeared 
brighter  and  more  vigorous  during  the  following  win- 
ter, 1885-86,  and  repeatedly  said  that  study  and  speak- 
ing were  again  enjoyed. 

Throughout  Dr.  Meier-Smith's  life  in  Philadelphia 
his  days  were  very  systematic  in  routine.  Correspon- 
dence occupied  an  hour  after  breakfast.  Then  came 
his  hours  at  the  Seminary,  from  which  he  returned 
about  two  o'clock.  After  dinner  and  the  relaxation  of 
an  hour  with  book  and  cigar,  the  rest  of  the  afternoon 
was  given  to  out-door  business  and  exercise,  and  some- 
times to  social  visits.  The  evening  found  him  almost 
invariably  in  his  study,  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  open 
fire  which  was  a  necessity  to  him.  He  studied  and 
wrote  until  eleven  o'clock.  Work  was  then  laid  aside, 
and  certainly  to  one  of  the  occupants  of  the  study 
the  best  hour  of  the  day  began.  Some  book  of  mutual 
instruction  or  amusement  was  read  and  discussed,  and 
conversation  was  so  fresh  and  animated  that  when  the 
midnight  hour  struck,  the  remark  was  often  made, "  We 
have  been  talking  as  if  we  had  not  been  together  for 
years,  and  as  if  it  might  be  years  before  we  met  again!" 


HOME  LIFE.  251 

Not  often  was  he  tempted  out  of  his  study  in  the 
evening,  but  others  of  the  family  were  welcomed  there, 
and  his  wife's  chair  was  always  ready  for  her  on  one 
side  of  his  writing  table,  no  matter  how  busily  he  was 
plying  the  pen.  In  early  years  there  was  seldom  a  ser- 
mon in  progress  for  which  she  had  not  composed  the 
audience  of  one  for  a  private  rehearsal  Bit  by  bit,  he 
gave  it  all  to  her.  While  this  became  impossible  as 
years  went  on,  she  was  not  often  seated  near  him  for 
half  an  hour  while  he  was  writing,  without  a  welcome 
interruption  with  the  question,  "  What  do  you  think  of 
this  ? "  And  then  after  reading  a  few  sentences  to  her, 
he  would  say,  "  Perhaps  I  had  better  go  back  a  few 
pages,"  until  the  result  was  that  she  heard  the  whole 
manuscript.  For  several  years  she  was  kept  much 
away  from  church,  either  from  her  own  weakness,  or 
from  her  attendance  upon  her  son.  Yet  all  that  time,  — 
ah !  with  what  pleasure  does  she  remember  it,  —  never 
was  a  new  sermon  to  be  preached  without  the  question 
being  asked  a  little  anxiously,  "  Shall  you  be  able  to  go 
out  this  morning  ? "  "  Why,  do  you  want  me  ? "  was 
the  reply.  The  answer  being,  "  Oh,  no,  not  unless  it  is 
entirely  best  for  you  to  go  ;  but  I  should  rather  like  to 
have  you  hear  my  new  sermon  !  I  think  it  will  please 
you."  Now,  as  she  reads,  one  after  another,  these  ser- 
mons into  which  he  has  put  so  much  of  himself,  con- 
nected with  each  there  is  the  memory  of  the  comment 
and  discussion  which  so  often  grew  out  of  the  reading, 
and  which  she  sometimes  told  him  was  a  revised  and 
improved  edition. 

Those  who  read  these  pages  will  not  think  that  too 
much  has  been  said  of  the  ready  sympathy,  the  kindli- 
ness of  manner,  the  winning  smile,  and  the  perfect 
naturalness  which  gave  the  charm  to  Dr.  Meier-Smith's 


252  HOME  LITE. 

personal  presence.  But  how  may  we  show  what  this 
meant  in  the  home  so  dear  to  him !  The  unselfishness 
and  simplicity  of  heart  of  which  these  graces  were  the 
fruits  were  revealed  there  continually.  He  lived  only 
for  his  work  and  for  those  he  loved.  Not  that  his 
bright  humor  was  never  clouded,  nor  that  his  words 
were  never  hasty,  for  he  was  naturally  impatient  and 
out-spoken ;  but  that  the  light  clouds  passed  so  quickly, 
and  the  sunshine  of  his  tender  and  ever  ready  helpful- 
ness appeared  so  soon,  that  the  prevailing  impression 
was  of  a  presence  at  once  cheering,  invigorating,  and 
supporting.  If  he  looked  on  the  dark  side  of  passing 
events,  it  was  but  a  temporary  view.  He  foresaw  the 
sure  coming  of  the  "  better  hour  or  day."  He  was  not 
easily  ruffled  with  small  annoyances,  nor  was  he  one  of 
the  bustling,  hurrying  folk  who  are  so  often  also  the 
worrying  folk.  He  was  deliberate  about  everything, 
willing  that  time  should  correct  mistakes,  and  quite 
sure  that  it  would.  We  have  said  before  that  he  was  a 
born  care-taker,  helping  naturally  and  easily  in  domes- 
tic perplexities,  and  as  an  ultimate  authority  in  ways 
and  means,  always  satisfactory.  He  was  methodical 
and  exact  in  affairs,  and  safe  and  prudent  in  business 
matters  to  an  extent  not  always  to  be  found  among 
clergymen.  Bills  and  letters  received  immediate  atten- 
tion. No  one  who  worked  for  him,  no  tradesman  or 
mechanic,  ever  had  to  wait  for  his  pay.  "  Time  is 
money  to  them,"  he  would  say,  as  he  paid  their  bills 
promptly.  A  wise  administration  of  domestic  econo- 
mies taught  him  the  same  prudence  in  expenditures 
when  a  parish  clergyman,  so  that  he  was  very  success- 
ful in  financial  matters  coming  under  his  supervision. 
Such  characteristics  every  family  knows  go  very  far  to 
make  up  a  personality  upon  which  every  one  in  the 


HOME  LIFE.  253 

household  must  needs  depend,  and  combined  with  the 
manner  which  makes  friends  everywhere,  the  rough 
places  are  smoothed  in  many  practical  ways.  Any  one, 
for  instance,  who  had  occasion  to  travel  in  his  company, 
would  be  struck  with  the  quiet  command  of  circum- 
stances he  assumed.  The  best  of  everything  came  to 
him  easily,  as  he  knew  just  what  he  needed,  and  how 
to  secure  it  without  annoyance  to  others.  In  the 
crowded  hotel  dining-room,  his  party  were  usually  well 
seated  and  promptly  served.  No  doubt  there  was  a 
magnetism  in  the  kindly  tone  and  smile  with  which 
his  orders  were  given,  though  something  of  the  old-time 
dignity  which  expects  to  receive  its  due  was  not  want- 
ing. How  much  of  life's  care  and  fret  and  turmoil  are 
due  to  the  absence,  in  many  admirable  characters,  of 
just  those  traits  which  were  conspicuous  in  him  whose 
loving  life  we  are  recalling !  How  impossible  it  seemed 
to  take  up  life's  burdens  when  he  was  called  away  who 
had  cheerfully  lifted  so  much  of  their  weight ! 

Those  who  served  in  Dr.  Meier-Smith's  household  be- 
came truly  attached  to  him,  and  were  glad  to  remain 
long  in  his  family.  They  received  from  him  words  of 
kind  greeting,  thoughtful  consideration  for  their  comfort, 
and  often  a  playful  remark  which  helped  the  wheels  of 
the  domestic  machine  to  run  smoothly.  In  every  shop 
where  he  was  known,  and  where  his  orders  were  left, 
he  had  more  than  acquaintances,  —  he  had  friends.  He 
was  quick  to  commend  when  well  served,  and  if  occa- 
sion required  criticism,  it  was  so  free  from  sharp  fault- 
finding, that  naturally  every  one  took  pains  to  please 
him.  Touching  proofs  of  the  affectionate  esteem  in  which 
he  was  held  by  such  friends  came  to  the  knowledge  of 
his  family  after  his  removal.  It  was  told  that  when  in 
the  early  morning  word  was  passed  from  place  to  place 


254  HOME  LIFE. 

in  the  vicinity, "  The  Doctor  is  dying,"  no  one  needed  to 
ask  who  was  meant.  "  Every  one  called  Dr.  Meier- 
Smith  '  the  Doctor.'  He  seemed  to  belong  to  us  all." 
The  shutters  were  closed  in  one  of  these  shops,  and  no 
business  was  done  for  several  hours.  Though  he  re- 
sided in  the  neighborhood  of  a  number  of  medical  men, 
and  several  Doctors  of  Divinity,  he  was  "  the  Doctor " 
to  these  friends.  Said  one  and  another,  "  Every  one 
here  feels  that  he  has  lost  a  dear  friend."  A  young  girl 
who  met  him  daily  on  her  way  to  school,  and  perhaps 
never  exchanged  a  word  with  him  beyond  the  morning 
greeting,  would  hardly  be  comforted  when  she  heard  the 
news,  so  strongly  had  she  been  attracted  to  him.  Said 
a  lady  living  in  the  same  street,  but  having  only  a 
slight  acquaintance  with  him,  "  The  whole  day  seemed 
brighter  when  I  met  Dr.  Meier-Smith  and  received  one 
of  his  smiles  and  greetings."  To  the  very  last  the 
words,  already  quoted,  of  his  early  friend  Dr.  Dexter, 
were  almost  as  apt  as  in  the  days  of  his  youth,  "  Like  a 
sunbeam  he  went  everywhere ! " 

His  charities  were  unostentatious.  As  freely  as  pos- 
sible he  responded  to  all  calls,  but  especially  were  his 
sympathies  appealed  to  by  those  sufferers  who  were 
silently  struggling  with  adversities  of  fortune  for  which 
their  education  had  ill  fitted  them.  With  gentle  tact 
he  discovered  their  necessities,  and  in  gracious  and  lov- 
ing manner  he  relieved  them ;  making  the  recipients  of 
his  gifts  feel  that  he  was  the  debtor  by  their  acceptance 
of  them.  To  many  such  his  death  was  a  blow  only 
second  to  that  which  fell  upon  his  own  family  when 
God  called  him  away. 

It  has  been  said  that  there  were  other  signs  than  de- 
creasing physical  strength  which  might  have  raised 
the  question  whether  his  earthly  work  was  to  be  con- 


HOME  LIFE.  255 

tinued  much  longer.  Friends  outside  of  his  own  family, 
who  saw  him  frequently,  say  that  the  genial  and  tender 
traits  of  his  character  shone  with  increasing  brightness 
during  the  last  two  years  of  his  life.  Unlike  many  who 
as  they  grow  older  are  easily  fretted  and  oppressed  by 
small  cares,  he  became  more  quiet  and  restful  His 
patience  with  trying  people  was  now  almost  unfailing, 
and  a  kind  excuse  for  their  infirmities  was  ever  ready. 
In  his  class-room  his  students  observed  that  much  of 
the  playful  satire  which  had  formerly  enlivened  his  in- 
struction was  repressed,  and  that  he  appeared  unwearied 
in  his  efforts  to  give  help  and  encouragement,  and  when 
criticism  was  necessary,  to  offer  it  without  wounding. 

Though  the  attempt  to  give  a  true  representation  of  him 
who  forms  the  subject  of  these  pages  may  have  been  in 
part  successful,  his  friends  will  feel  that  one  important 
element  of  his  individuality  has  been  almost  left  out. 
To  portray  him  in  connection  with  his  work  was  the 
aim  proposed,  and  a  natural  prominence  has  been  given 
to  the  characteristics  which  were  most  exercised  as 
teacher,  preacher,  and  pastor.  But  in  his  home,  among 
his  intimate  friends,  and  when  extending  the  hospitality 
in  which  he  so  much  delighted,  his  natural  mirthful- 
ness,  and  the  gay  sparkle  of  his  humor,  made  a  strong 
impression.  When  he  felt  perfectly  unrestrained,  this 
playfulness  was  constantly  coming  to  the  surface.  In 
younger  days  his  tendency  to  apply  original  and  terse 
epithets,  and  to  see  things  from  the  laughable  side,  if 
there  were  such  a  point  of  view,  was  almost  irresistible. 
Years  and  cares  had  their  sobering  effect,  and  chastened 
the  native  buoyancy,  but  enough  remained  to  identify 
him  with  the  young  and  merry  spirit  that  did  "good 
like  medicine,"  and  is  so  affectionately  remembered  by 
the  friends  of  those  long  past  years. 


256  HOME  LIFE. 

It  would  be  out  of  place  to  insert  many  anecdotes 
concerning  Dr.  Meier-Smith  which  are  fresh  in  the 
memory,  and  which  are  yet  told  by  his  old  friends 
and  parishioners. 

One  writing  of  him  said,  "His  bright  humor  made 
him  such  an  essentially  live  man  that  1  cannot  think 
of  him  as  having  passed  out  of  our  earthly  life." 

A  clergyman  about  his  own  age  met  him  one  Christ- 
mas morning.  Dr.  Meier-Smith's  "Merry  Christmas" 
rang  out  when  some  paces  distant,  his  face  expressing 
his  sympathy  with  the  joyous  greeting.  His  friend, 
being  inclined  to  the  dark  view  of  life,  solemnly  ex- 
claimed :  "  Have  n't  you  gotten  over  that  sort  of  thing 
yet  ?  "  "  No,"  was  the  somewhat  indignant  reply,  "  and 
I  hope  I  never  shall  while  the  world  is  full  of  the  bless- 
ings springing  from  the  birth  of  the  Lord  Christ ! " 

In  these  days  of  rapid  communication,  any  regular 
correspondence  beyond  the  most  business-like  notes, 
brief  and  hurried,  appears  to  have  become  a  thing  of 
the  past.  Few  letters  are  kept,  and  the  material  which 
has  heretofore  been  the  most  valued  part  of  a  memoir 
is  likely  to  be  wanting  in  the  future.  Dr.  Meier-Smith 
wrote  a  great  many  letters,  until  within  the  last  twelve 
years ;  but  most  of  his  correspondents  are  gone,  and  the 
letters  have  disappeared.  Such  of  his  letters  as  are  in- 
cluded in  these  pages,  his  friends  will  recognize  as  emi- 
nently characteristic;  others  at  hand  are  equally  so, 
and  would  be  of  much  interest  as  expressing  his  views 
in  his  own  forcible  manner,  but  they  are  withholden 
because  of  their  purely  personal  character,  or  on  account 
of  their  frank  reference  to  events  of  too  recent  occur- 
rence to  be  appropriately  introduced. 

With  the  Rev.  Dr.  Dyer  correspondence  was  always 
maintained ;  although  in  the  last  two  or  three  years  it 


HOME  LIFE.  257 

was  much  interrupted  by  the  invalid  condition  of  this 
dear  friend.  Dr.  Meier-Smith's  professional  position 
during  his  residence  in  Philadelphia  gave  him  oppor- 
tunities, of  which  he  always  availed  himself,  to  use  his 
influence  in  behalf  of  friends,  especially  for  his  younger 
brethren  and  his  pupils.  To  his  responsive  heart  it  was 
a  second  nature  to  write  a  letter,  or  seek  a  personal  in- 
terview, whenever  there  was  hope  of  aiding  any  strug- 
gling or  anxious  friend.  Many  such  letters,  could  they 
be  printed,  would  testify,  as  no  other  words  can,  to  the 
elements  of  character  which  made  him  so  much  beloved 
by  all  who  knew  him. 

Extracts  follow  from  two  letters  to  Dr.  Dyer. 

"...  Our  dear  Dr.  Muhlenberg  is  gone  to  his  rest. 
Every  line  I  read  about  him  impresses  me  more  and 
more  with  the  saintly  beauty  of  his  life.  How  like  his 
divine  Master !  What  an  example  for  imitation !  I 
often  think  that  such  a  life  and  work,  and  to  be  identi- 
fied with  a  '  St.  Luke's  Hospital '  and  a  '  St.  Johnland,' 
is  the  highest  of  human  honor.  ...  So  the  Europe 
plan  is  postponed.  I  trust  for  the  best.  Are  you 
growing  stronger  again  ?  I  hope  so.  I  cannot  express 
the  deep  and  affectionate  interest  I  take  in  your  health 
and  comfort.  The  good  Lord  keep  you  through  a  happy 
and  serene  evening,  by  and  by  melting  into  the  Eternal 
Day ! " 

Referring  to  Dr.  Dyer's  "  Records  of  an  Active  Life," 
he  wrote  from  Southampton,  under  date  of  September, 
22,  1886. 

.  .  .  Your  book  is  a  good  instruction.  It  shows  how 
a  man  can  be  most  useful,  and  find  distinguished  honor 
by  simply  doing  the  day's  work  as  God  gives  it  to  him 

17 


258  HOME  LIFE. 

to  do.  The  best  of  ordinary  legends  for  the  memorial 
brass  is  that  "  He  served  God  in  his  generation  and 
then  fell  on  sleep."  How  blessed  and  peaceful  and 
light  is  your  eventide !  Soon  it  will  brighten  into  "  no 
night  there  " !  Good-by,  dear  old  friend. 

Ever  affectionately  yours, 

M.  M.-S. 

Dr.  Meier-Smith's  own  family  have  but  few  letters 
remaining  from  these  later  years.  His  brief  absences 
from  home  allowed  only  a  hurried  note  or  telegram 
announcing  his  return.  The  tender  and  watchful  love 
which  shrunk  from  any  separation,  they  understood  so 
well  as  the  cause,  that  they  are  consoled  for  the  loss  of 
letters  that  would  now  be  such  cherished  relics. 

A  few  extracts  are  given  from  letters  to  members 
of  his  own  family  circle  on  occasions  calling  for  sym- 
pathy. They  are  types  of  many,  and  will  serve  to 
show  why  they  found  so  warm  a  place  in  the  hearts  of 
their  recipients,  and  have  been  affectionately  treas- 
ured for  years.  Such  letters  were  to  his  friends  more 
than  characteristic,  —  they  were  his  very  self. 

Fancy  and  humor  played  about  his  pen,  as  in  his 
conversation,  and  the  tenderness  of  his  heart  found 
ready  expression  when  the  sorrows  or  joys  of  those 
dear  to  him  called  for  his  notice. 

To  a  Sister-in-law. 

BRIDGEPORT,  December  16,  1862. 

MY  DEAR,  DARLING,  PET  JULIA,  —  Stiff  hand  as  I  am 
at  congratulations,  I  must  drop  you  a  line  at  least,  to 
say  how  heartily  and  lovingly  I  do  unite  in  your  new 
found  joy. 

But,  pens,  ink,  paper,  —  they  are  a  perfect  nuisance 
just  now. 


HOME  LIFE.  259 

Give  my  love  to  C.  C.  J.  Tell  him  I  like  him.  Tell 
him  I,  for  one,  welcome  him  to  just  the  best  circle  of 
brotherhood  and  sisterhood  that  man  ever  saw  or,  —  if 
this  unworthy  dust  may  slip  out  for  the  nonce, — 
angels  ever  peeped  upon. 

It  has  a  pokerish  look  when  one  sees  two  life  cur- 
rents, starting  from  widely  distant  hills,  come  down 
gushing,  dashing,  bubbling,  foaming,  surging  with  impe- 
tuous emotion,  suddenly,  inevitably,  to  blend  and  make 
one  stream. 

We  shiver  a  little,  and  wonder  how  it  is  to  be  with 
them. 

But  if  God  sent  the  two  rills  out  from  their  springs 
on  purpose  to  make  a  river  of  them,  there  is  nothing  to 
be  feared.  They  will  make  a  river,  and  they  will  go 
together  to  the  sea,  hand  in  hand,  laughing  right 
cheerily,  dancing  right  merrily,  leaping  the  rocks  right 
joyously,  now  soberly  sweeping  with  deep  and  silent 
motion  through  the  sombre  chasms,  now  serenely 
through  the  plains. 

I  believe  in  fore-ordaining ;  I  believe  in  Providence ; 
I  believe  God  looks  after  His  children. 

My  dear  sister,  I  long  to  press  you  to  my  heart  and 
give  you  the  warmest  kiss  I  ever  gave  you. 
Your  brother, 

MATSON. 

To  his  wife's  youngest  sister,  whose  birthday  was  the 
same  as  his  own  :  — 

2015  DE  LANCET  PLACE,  April  3,  1884. 

DEAR  SISTER  GRACE,  —  The  almanac  reminds  me 
that  to-morrow,  the  fourth,  is  my  annual  Humiliation 
Day.  It  is  a  day  also  of  rejoicing  among  angels  and 
admirers  of  the  beautiful,  for  you  graced  this  planet 


260  HOME  LIFE. 

with  your  rising  beams  some  twenty  odd  years  ago.  It 
was  like  my  effrontery  to  have  chosen  for  my  nativity 
the  same  day,  without  consulting  the  siderial  "  Ven- 
nors,"  and  finding  out  who  was  to  come  after  me !  My 
best  atonement  for  this  unblushing  behavior  is  to  beg 
your  acceptance  of  the  inclosed,  as  a  small  compensa- 
tion, and  to  say  that  I  put  a  dollar  a  year  for  each  year 
of  manifest,  apparent,  and  undoubted  difference  of 
age.  You  are  in  your  bloom ;  I  am  in  my  decrepitude. 
Twenty-five  years  hence  you  will  be  still  in  your 
bloom  I  I  shall  be  in  "  lean  and  slippered  pantaloon." 
But  despite  senility  on  one  side,  and  youth  and  beauty 
on  the  other,  I  am  ever,  your  loving  old  brother, 

MATSON. 

To  his  Sister-in-law  Helen. 

PHILADELPHIA,  December  26,  1881. 

DARLING  SISTER  NELL,  —  I  was  still  puzzling  over 
the  conundrum,  "  Who  sent  a  cup  and  saucer  and  plate 
to  whom,  from  Tiffany's  ? "  when  your  sweet  note  came 
explaining  all 

Thank  you,  dear  sister,  for  the  gift  so  choice,  and  for 
the  loving  words,  more  precious  still.  But  let  me  say 
that  my  "  coffee  times  "  will  not  be  my  only  times  for 
thinking  of  you  ;  for  you,  dear  child,  you  are  in  my 
heart  and  thoughts  often  and  again,  more  than  you 
dream,  in  these  your  days  of  so  much  sadness  and 
brave  sorrow-bearing.  I  suppose  that  in  the  great 
cycles  of  Providential  movement,  —  cyclones  I  might 
call  them,  —  there  are  rough  and  terrible  things,  which 
like  earthquakes  and  tempests  make  for  good  in  the 
end. 

God's  children  can  go  safely  through  them,  and  come 
off  more  than  conquerors,  weather-beaten  into  heroes, 


HOME  LIFE.  261 

transfigured  through  the  storms  into  those  who  wear 
white  with  the  Lamb,  and  stand  on  Mount  Ziou.  Other 
people  get  swamped,  and  somehow  reach  shore,  — 
through  the  life-car,  or  ropes  of  the  surf-men,  and  it 
takes  them  ages  to  get  over  the  battering  and  bruising. 
You,  dearest  sister  mine,  have  hold  of  God's  hand,  the 
warm  flesh  and  blood  hand  of  the  Only  Begotten.  God 
grant  you,  in  dear  Arthur's  convalescence  and  in  your  deal 
children,  a  new  year  of  brighter  days  and  growing  joy > 
Your  own  loving  brother, 

MATSON. 

To  the  Same  (after  preaching  in  New  York). 

2015  DE  LANCET  PLACE,  February  28,  1882. 

DEAR  SISTER  NELLIE,  —  The  little  postal  card  re- 
ceived this  morning  was  verily  a  surprise.  I  had  no 
idea  that  so  many  or  any  of  my  loved  ones  were  in  the 
congregation,  although  I  saw  in  the  dim  light  of  the 
church  a  face  which  suggested  you  so  strongly  that  1 
warmed  toward  it ;  yet  it  was  not  distinct  enough  for 
recognition.  And  now  I  am  glad  to  learn  that  you  were 
there ;  for  when  I  was  writing  that  sermon  some  three 
weeks  ago,  I  was  thinking  of  you,  and  wishing  I  had 
leisure  to  put  into  a  letter,  just  to  you,  some  of  the  pre- 
cious things  as  they  came  to  me,  and  some  asides  for 
your  own  ear  and  the  comfort  of  your  dear,  stricken, 
and  sorrowing  heart. 

'  The  long  outlook  toward  the  extreme  reaches,  and 
the  faith-vision  which  sees  the  God  in  Jesus  near  at 
hand,  and  hears  the  voice,  "  It  is  I,"  are  the  sufficient 
comfort  in  days  when  nothing  short  of  the  Infinite  can 
bring  any  approach  to  peace  or  calm.  "  There  is  a  rest 
that  remaineth,"  into  which  we  from  time  to  time  enter. 
It  is  a  lofty  boon  if  given  to  our  poor  nerves  and  our 


262  HOME  LIFE. 

tired  spirits  to  abide  in  it  always.  Do  any  ever  reach 
this  gift  ?  I  have  another  text  for  you,  "  There  hath 
no  temptation  [that  is,  trial]  taken  you,  save  such  as  is 
common  to  man,"  —  that  is,  fitted  to  our  human  nature 
and  our  best  development,  as  well  as  common  in  the 
sense  that  many  share  it 

You  are  not  an  exceptional  sufferer,  and  God's  plan 
will  work  out  more  than  we  think  for  good,  —  "  exceed- 
ing abundantly." 

I  know  by  sad  experience  how  hard  it  is  to  believe 
this ;  but  sometimes  faith  triumphs,  and  we  peer  for  a 
moment  through  parting  clouds  into  heaven's  fathomless 
blue. 

Give  my  love  to  all  those  whose  names  you  indicated, 
and  with  my  good-night  kiss,  darling  sister,  believe  me, 
ever  your  loving  brother, 

MATSON. 
To  the  Same. 

PHILADELPHIA,  February  19,  1884. 

DARLING  SISTER,  —  That  exquisite  chair  appeared  at 
my  door  this  morning.  It  is  a  marvel  of  beauty  and  a 
wealth  of  love.  Your  dear  eyes  and  your  deft  fingers, 
your  nerves  and  your  warm  blood,  and  your  sweet  sis- 
terliness  are  all  in  it.  Can  I  tell  you  how  I  thank  you, 
how  I  shall  prize  it,  and  how,  when  my  eyes  are  dim 
with  force-abating  age,  I  shall  be  gladdened  by  the 
vision  of  it  ?  Shall  I  dare  sit  in  it  ?  That  is  the  ques- 
tion. I  gently  deposited  myself  therein  on  trial.  But 
it  seemed  a  sort  of  sacrilege  to  treat  the  beauty  so 
familiarly. 

...  I  did  not  think  that  my  dear  old  father  was 
so  near  his  rest  when  I  left  him  yesterday.  But  I 
thank  God  the  conflict  is  finished  for  him,  and  in  the 
new  life  and  the  new  brightness  of  Paradise  he  awaits 


HOME   LIFE.  263 

with  Christ's  departed  the  opening  of  the  Gates  Eternal. 
"  Not  that  we  would  be  unclothed,  but  clothed  upon,  — 
that  mortality  might  be  swallowed  up  of  life."  Saint 
Paul  never  wrote  brighter  words  from  the  human  side 
of  this  thing  we  call  "  death  "  than  these. 

And  now,  again,  thank  you  for  the  chair  ;  and  good- 
night. And  the  dear  God  bless  and  comfort  you  always, 
my  pet  and  darling  little  sister,  wishes  and  prays  your 
brother, 

MATSON. 

In  the  spring  of  1886,  Dr.  Meier-Smith  arranged  for 
extensive  repairs  and  enlargement  to  his  house.  When 
the  time  came  to  decide  whether  the  proposed  work 
should  be  carried  on,  he  was  asked,  "  Do  you  feel 
strong  enough  to  look  forward  to  an  extended  term  of 
work  here  ?  If  not,  it  might  be  better  not  to  under- 
take this,  as  in  case  you  feel  compelled  to  retire  from 
active  duty,  we  may  wish  to  go  back  to  our  early  asso- 
ciations, or  to  live  in  the  country."  His  answer  showed 
that  whatever  were  his  fears  for  himself,  he  had  no 
thought  that  he  was  commencing  the  last  twelvemonth 
of  his  life. 

"  I  think  I  am  stronger  than  I  have  been  at  any  time 
since  my  illness,  and  do  not  see  why  there  may  not  be 
years  of  good  work  yet  before  me.  At  any  rate,  as  we 
cannot  forecast  the  future,  it  is  better  to  arrange  to  do 
our  work  as  comfortably  as  possible,"  —  adding  after  a 
pause,  —  "if  I  break  down  before  my  time,  I  should  be 
glad  to  know  that  I  had  provided  such  a  home  for  my 
family  as  I  want  them  to  have." 

Before  the  meeting  of  the  Diocesan  Convention, 
Bishop  Stevens  announced  his  wish  to  have  an  assis- 
tant, in  view  of  his  increasingly  feeble  health  and 


264  HOME  LIFE. 

advanced  years.  Who  should  be  his  helper  and  suc- 
cessor in  this  large  and  important  diocese  ?  This  was 
a  question  of  great  interest  and  much  discussion. 
Most  of  Dr.  Meier-Smith's  friends  united  upon  Dr. 
Phillips  Brooks,  and  while  he  shared  their  admiration 
for  the  distinguished  man  and  preacher,  he  regretted 
their  choice,  as  he  felt  sure  that  Dr.  Brooks  could  not 
be  induced  to  leave  his  chosen  field,  and  that  time 
would  be  lost,  and  votes  thrown  away.  Thus  it  proved ; 
and  after  Dr.  Brooks  declined,  and  remained  immova- 
ble in  his  decision,  the  Convention  adjourned  without 
an  election,  to  meet  again  in  June.  Dr.  Meier-Smith 
was  out  of  town,  and  was  unable  to  be  present.  While 
Rector  of  Trinity  Church,  Newark,  he  had  formed  a 
pleasant  acquaintance  with  the  Bishop  of  Nevada, 
then  a  parish  clergyman  in  New  Jersey,  and  when  he 
became  the  choice  of  a  majority  of  the  Convention,  Dr. 
Meier-Smith  sent  him  a  warm  letter  of  congratulation 
and  welcome.  Bishop  Whitaker  responded  cordially, 
and  their  relations,  after  he  came  to  Philadelphia,  were 
very  friendly.  When  death  so  soon  interrupted  them, 
the  Bishop  earnestly  expressed  his  sense  of  personal 
loss,  saying  that  Dr.  Meier-Smith  was  one  of  the  very 
few  clergymen  of  Philadelphia  whom  he  had  known 
previously,  and  that  he  had  "  counted  upon  him  as  a 
right-hand  man  and  helper." 

In  the  month  of  May  the  circle  of  Mrs.  Meier- 
Smith's  brothers  and  sisters  was  broken  by  the  death 
of  her  half-brother,  —  a  young  man  whose  unusual  gifts 
and  fine  character  gave  promise  of  a  brilliant  future. 
The  blow  fell  with  crushing  weight  upon  the  widowed 
mother,  now  bereaved  of  her  only  child,  and  Dr.  Meier- 
Smith's  sympathetic  heart  was  greatly  moved. 

He  often  spoke  of  this  bright  young  life  so  early 


HOME  LIFE.  265 

closed  on  earth,  and  of  his  certainty  that  he  had 
entered  upon  a  greater  and  nobler  work  than  any  he 
could  have  done  here. 

In  June  he  went  with  his  family  to  spend  the  sum- 
mer at  Southampton,  Long  Island.  The  home  in  De 
Lancey  Place  was  left  for  six  months,  that  the  altera- 
tions decided  upon  might  be  made.  Very  sweet  is  the 
memory  of  that  last  summer,  which  seemed  peculi- 
arly free  from  the  anxieties  of  other  vacations.  South- 
ampton, the  oldest  town  in  the  State  of  New  York, 
combines  the  attractions  of  a  modern  sea-side  resort, 
and  a  venerable  New  England  village ;  for  it  was  from 
Massachusetts  and  Connecticut  that  its  first  settlers 
came,  and  many  historic  marks  remain.  The  ocean 
view  is  unbounded,  and  the  breezes  unfailing.  The 
rush  of  fashionable  life  has  hardly  invaded  it,  and 
society  is  refined  and  intelligent.  Many  clergymen 
were  there,  —  some  old  acquaintances  among  them,  — 
and  every  one  noticed  in  Dr.  Meier-Smith  a  lightness  of 
spirit  and  enjoyment  of  society  which  indicated  a  sense 
of  returning  health.  He  took  long  walks  again,  and 
said  that  he  had  not  enjoyed  exercise  so  much  for  five 
years. 

The  coast  of  the  eastern  end  of  Long  Island  is 
marked  by  low  sand  hills,  or  "dunes,"  upon  which 
there  is  some  vegetation.  They  form  a  soft  outline  of 
artistic  beauty.  Upon  the  dunes  at  Southampton 
stands  a  picturesque  little  chapel,  —  "  St.  Andrew's 
Dune  Church,"  and  here  he  officiated,  preaching  every 
Sunday  for  two  months.  He  enjoyed  this  work,  and 
there  were  many  among  the  friends  he  formed  while  in 
charge  of  these  services  who  spoke  of  him  afterward 
gratefully  and  affectionately,  and  who  will  long  asso- 
ciate the  little  chapel  with  his  ministrations. 


266  HOME  LIFE. 

Late  in  the  autumn  the  family  returned  to  their 
enlarged  and  renovated  home.  Dr.  Meier-Smith  spared 
no  pains  to  carry  out  in  every  detail  all  that  could  meet 
the  wishes  and  tastes  of  those  so  dear  to  him,  and  took 
a  loving  satisfaction  in  the  attractive  result  of  the 
thought  and  care  he  had  given  to  the  work.  "  I  am 
thankful,"  he  said,  "  and  my  mind  is  at  rest,  now  that 
I  see  you  just  as  comfortable  as  I  have  desired  you 
should  be."  In  his  new  and  beautiful  study  he  took 
great  delight.  There  he  and  his  wife  spent  much  time 
alone  together,  their  son  having  decided  to  remain 
through  the  winter  at  Southampton.  As  the  year 
drew  toward  its  close,  the  outlook  for  the  one  so  soon 
to  open  seemed  unusually  bright.  Affairs  at  the 
Divinity  School  were  in  an  encouraging  state,  and 
many  things  combined  to  promise  a  happy  whiter. 

Just  after  Christmas,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Meier-Smith  vis- 
ited their  son  in  Southampton,  and  were  cheered  by 
finding  him  unusually  well  and  happy.  He  thought 
his  father  looking  worn  and  tired,  and  noticed  that  he 
was  very  quiet;  but  he  said  nothing  to  his  parents 
of  the  fears  aroused  by  his  appearance. 

The  last  day  of  the  year  will  never  be  forgotten  by 
the  compiler  of  these  memories.  A  wild  winter  storm 
of  snow,  sleet,  and  wind  was  in  full  sway,  a  heavy 
surf  thundered  on  the  beach,  arid  from  the  windows 
could  be  seen  the  grand  line  of  white  breakers.  The 
surroundings  added  solemnity  to  the  thoughts  which 
are  natural  to  serious  minds  in  the  last  hours  of  the 
dying  year.  Thanksgivings  for  the  mercies  of  the 
months  past,  and  the  prayer  for  a  blessing  on  the  new- 
born year,  which  were  offered  as  the  midnight  hour 
struck,  were  tender  and  fervent.  An  undefined  impres- 
sion was  felt  that  an  experience,  yet  unknown,  was  in 


HOME  LIFE.  267 

the  near  future.  Yet  it  was  with  hopeful  hearts  that 
they  returned  to  their  home,  grateful  for  the  improve- 
ment apparent  in  their  dear  invalid. 

When  Dr.  Meier-Smith  returned  to  the  Divinity 
School,  he  was  surprised  to  be  met  by  congratulations 
on  the  benefit  his  trip  had  been  to  him,  with  the 
remark  that  he  had  been  looking  far  from  well  before 
his  absence. 


XIX. 

EVEN-TIDE. 

1887. 
JANUARY  —  FEBRUARY  —  MARCH. 

OF  the  eventful  weeks  which  passed  quickly  and 
peacefully  from  the  opening  of  the  year  1887 
until  the  middle  of  March,  there  is  little  to  record. 
Dr.  Meier-Smith's  diary  shows  a  regular  fulfilment  of 
his  duties  at  the  Divinity  School,  and  of  pulpit  en- 
gagements for  nearly  every  Sunday.  He  and  his  wife 
were  more  constantly  together  than  for  many  years. 
He  seemed  to  be  unwilling  to  be  away  from  her  for 
even  a  few  hours,  desiring  her  company  in  his  walks, 
and  laying  aside  his  evening  study  for  conversation 
with  her.  The  peculiar  tenderness  of  his  attention  she 
attributed  to  his  knowledge  that  she  suffered  much  in 
the  separation  from  their  son,  who  had  been  for  so 
many  years  her  constant  companion. 

Early  in  the  year  he  commenced  to  write  a  new 
course  of  Homiletical  lectures,  in  which  he  seemed  to 
take  much  satisfaction,  expressing  a  hope  that  they 
would  fill  a  need  in  the  plan  of  instruction  which  had 
not  yet  been  met. 

Among  letters  which  he  wrote  was  one  to  Dr.  Gou- 
verneur  M.  Smith,  under  date  of  January  18,  1887. 

MY  DEAR  COUSIN,  —  It  was  a  most  pleasant  sensa- 
tion, sharpening  appetite  for  breakfast,  this  morning, 


EVEN-TIDE.  269 

to  find  some  lines  from  you.  And  among  the  curious 
psychological,  not  to  say  neurological,  things,  did  you 
ever  note  family  relationships  in  chirography  ?  I  puz- 
zled a  moment  over  the  address  of  the  envelope.  Your 
writing  suggests  your  father's  very  much.  There  is  a 
resemblance  to  my  father's  in  his  stronger  days,  perhaps 
more  than  you  may  notice,  in  my  present  writing,  al- 
though I  can  see  a  trace  of  it  with  all  the  admixtures 
of  other  elements,  careless  habits  included.  Two  or 
three  times  within  a  few  years,  I  have  had  a  note  from 
Chief-Justice  Waite,  who,  you  know,  is  one  of  our  third 
cousins,  or  thereabouts.  The  first  writing  from  him 
fairly  startled  me,  so  extremely  suggestive  was  it,  and 
side  by  side  with  one  of  my  father's  in  his  old  age,  it 
seemed  as  if  the  man  of  sixty  and  the  man  of  eighty- 
three  had  written  on  a  match  for  a  prize.  Family 
voices  in  various  generations  have  marked  similarities. 
Is  it  the  rule  likewise  with  manuscript  ?  What  is  the 
explanation  ?  Are  these  facts  for  some  yet  unformed 
deduction  as  to  enlarged  and  multiplex  personalities, 
or  some  new  doctrine  of  blood  tides  and  blood  unities  ? 
I  submit  the  questions  to  my  medical  philosopher- 
kinsman,  whose  conservative  character  never  allows 
his  imagination  to  run  away  with  him.  .  .  . 

Throughout  the  months  of  January  and  February, 
there  was  even  more  than  the  usual  brightness  and 
cheerfulness  apparent  in  Dr.  Meier-Smith's  life  at  home. 
He  was  more  inclined  to  mingle  in  society  than  for 
some  years  past,  and  to  the  entertainment  of  friends 
and  relatives,  extending  the  hearty  welcome  and  warm 
hospitality  always  characteristic  of  him,  more  lavishly 
than  usual. 

Among  the    latest  visitors  was  his  brother-in-law, 


270  EVEN-TIDE. 

Charles  Trumbull  White,  with  his  wife.  With  him 
there  was  an  affectionate  and  sympathetic  intimacy, 
the  more  tender  on  Dr.  Meier-Smith's  part,  because  of 
the  failing  health  of  this  dear  brother.  Nearly  three 
years  later  a  lingering  decline,  borne  with  a  Christian 
martyr's  heroism,  closed  a  life  of  rarely  beautiful  un- 
selfishness and  devotion  to  Christ  and  His  work. 

One  of  the  latest  letters  to  Dr.  Dyer  was  written  on 
Ash  Wednesday : — 

...  In  regard  to  the  Divinity  School  and  its  outlook. 
Certainly  the  Faculty  is  doing  all  it  can  to  elevate 
scholarship  and  attract  students,  and  there  has  been  a 
respectable  addition  to  the  number.  But  between  the 
requisitions  of  the  Faculty,  and  the  oppositions,  in  a 
polite  way,  of  certain  of  our  brethren  of  another  school 
of  thought  in  the  Church,  we  lose  students.  If  they 
connect  themselves  with  certain  parishes,  they  are  apt 
to  leave  us  for  New  York  or  Berkeley. 

What  is  the  remedy?  Some  bishops  assume  the 
right  to  control  the  places  of  study  of  their  candidates, 
and  I  think  that  if  our  dear  and  lenient  Bishop  would 
tell  his  young  men  that  he  has  something  to  say  on  the 
subject,  it  would  be  good  for  the  young  fellows  them- 
selves. I  have  noticed  many  times  within  forty  years, 
that  freshmen  in  theology  are  wise  beyond  their  years, 
and  more  learned  and  orthodox  than  their  instructors. 
It  was  so  in  Union  Seminary  in  my  day.  But  I  would 
not  seem  to  criticise  my  Bishop,  for  doubtless  he  weighs 
each  case,  with  a  knowledge  no  one  else  has  of  the 
special  facts.  And  speaking  of  Bishop  Stevens,  how 
beautiful  is  his  endurance  and  fidelity !  I  have  learned 
to  love  him  very  warmly,  and  he  grows  upon  my  re- 
spectful admiration.  I  love  to  go  and  see  him  occasion- 


EVEN-TIDE.  271 

ally.  He  is  so  sweet  and  heavenly  minded,  looking 
forward  "  to  be  with  Christ."  When  I  talk  with  him 
and  with  you,  I  come  away  fervently  desiring  that  I 
may  know  the  same  glorious  hope  and  peace  and  quiet 
triumph,  if  I  be  spared  to  your  years.  How  faithful  is 
our  God  and  Saviour  to  His  servants  ! 

My  wife  and  daughter  join  me  in  dear  love  to  you 
and  yours.  Ever  most  affectionately, 

MATSON  MEIEB-SMITH. 

An  interview  with  Bishop  Stevens  in  February  is  re- 
ferred to  in  his  diary.  The  Bishop  was  very  feeble, 
and  could  talk  but  little,  but  Dr.  Meier-Smith  spoke 
with  deep  feeling  of  the  tenderness  of  the  meeting,  and 
of  the  sweetness  and  Christ-likeness  of  the  Bishop.  "  I 
think  I  may  never  see  him  again.  He  seems  to  me 
very  nearly  ready  to  depart,"  he  remarked  to  his  wife. 
Nor  did  they  meet  here  again,  but  at  that  time  no  one 
could  have  thought  that  the  venerable  Bishop  would 
survive  his  friend. 

On  the  last  Sunday  in  February,  he  took  charge,  in 
the  absence  of  the  Eector,  of  both  services  at  Holy 
Trinity  Church.  The  sermon  in  the  morning,  though 
but  recently  written,  was  one  which  was  more  doctrinal 
in  subject,  and  less  subdued  in  style,  than  was  usual  in 
the  sermons  of  his  later  years.  The  subject  as  given  in 
the  title  was,  "  Sin  the  Ruin,  Repentance  the  Remedy." 
It  was  somewhat  startling  to  his  wife,  who  was  unpre- 
pared for  the  subject  or  its  treatment.  At  the  close  of 
the  service  a  number  of  persons  spoke  to  him  of  the 
deep  impression  produced,  remarking  that  the  sermon 
was  one  of  the  '*'  old-fashioned "  kind  seldom  heard 
now.  Walking  home  with  his  wife,  he  said  to  her, 
"  You  are  very  quiet ;  I  think  you  did  not  enjoy  my 


272  EVEN-TIDE. 

sermon."  Her  reply  was,  "  I  am  afraid  I  was  not  in 
tune  for  it;  I  wanted  something  else  this  morning." 
He  seemed  a  little  troubled,  and  during  the  walk  re- 
verted to  the  subject,  saying,  "  I  wish  you  would  read 
over  that  sermon,  and  see  if  there  is  anything  harsh  or 
severe  in  it.  I  desire  more  and  more  to  speak  the  truth 
in  love."  Little  did  she  know  that  she  had  listened  for 
the  last  time  to  the  beloved  husband  who  had  been  so 
long  her  pastor  and  teacher.  How  slow  would  she  have 
been,  could  she  have  foreseen  the  near  future,  to  speak 
a  critical  word  to  him  who  always  honored  her  by  his 
desire  for  her  approving  verdict  upon  his  public  work  ! 
The  two  letters  which  follow  are  among  the  last  he 
wrote.  The  first  one  is  to  a  brother-in-law,  and  is  dated 
Sunday  evening,  March  6,  1887 :  — 

MY  DEAK  CHARLES,  — My  heart  is  glad  as  I  think  of 
you  to-day,  and  I  thank  God  with  you,  that  you  have 
been  helped  to  see  your  way  clear  to  the  outward  stand 
of  the  Christian,  and  to  the  Table  of  our  Lord. 

That  the  obstacles  which  have  hindered  you  in  the 
past  would  sometime  be  removed,  I  have  not  suffered 
myself  to  doubt,  during  these  many  years  of  our  ac- 
quaintance and  most  agreeable  relationship,  knowing 
as  I  did  your  high  principles,  and  your  deep  sympathy 
with  all  that  is  real  and  true  in  religion  and  in  life. 
And  at  the  same  time  I  fully  appreciate  the  many  and 
great  difficulties  which  often  do  stand  in  the  way  of  just 
such  a  step,  with  conscientious  men  who  know  them- 
selves, and  know  other  men,  and  are  distrustful  regard- 
ing any  step  which  seems  to  invite  observation. 

It  is  a  great  point  gained  when  one  commits  himself 
openly  and  forever  on  the  side  of  God  and  His  Son 
Jesus  Christ,  and  lets  everybody  know  that  his  life  in 


EVEN-TIDE.  273 

this  world,  and  his  outlook  for  the  future,  whatever  the 
drawbacks  or  discounts  of  our  imperfections,  are  to  be 
ruled  by,  and  to  depend  upon,  this  determination  and 
belief. 

I  am  sure  you  will  be  a  happier  man,  stronger  to  be, 
and  stronger  to  bear,  and  stronger  to  accept  all  the  lot, 
now  and  hereafter,  which  the  Father  ordains.  And  I 
do  most  fervently  trust  that  you  will  find  spiritual 
enrichment  and  peace  and  joy  and  more  and  more  of 
that  "  peace  of  God  which  passeth  all  understanding," 
as  you  participate  freely  in  all  means  of  grace,  and 
especially,  from  time  to  time,  in  the  holy  and  life- 
strengthening  Sacrament. 

And  I  add  to  my  prayer  that  God  relieve  your  bodily 
infirmities,  that  you  may  find  length  of  days  and 
stronger  health  and  greater  comfort,  as  you  advance  to- 
ward the  evening,  and  the  blessed  to-morrow  I 

With  love  to  dear  Julia,  and  assurance  of  loving  re- 
membrance from  us  all  here,  I  am  most  affectionately, 
Your  brother, 

MATSON  MEIER-SMITH. 

To  the  Rev.  B.  B.  Beardsley. 

PHILADELPHIA,  March  8,  1837. 

MY  DEAR  FRIEND  AND  BROTHER,  —  I  entirely  agree 
with  your  views  expressed  in  your  note  of  yesterday. 
There  is  only  one  thing,  so  far  as  the  point  in  question 
is  concerned,  to  be  preached  and  declared  to  men  by  any 
Christian  minister,  or  any  who  hold  the  revelation  in 
the  Old  and  New  Testaments,  and  that  is,  the  duty  of 
immediate  repentance  and  settlement  with  God  in  this 
present  life ;  and  to  hold  out  any  hope  or  chance  of 
better  things  in  any  life  to  come,  or  in  any  future  of 
this  life,  is  to  speak  without  authority,  and  in  violation 
18 


274  EVEN-TIDE. 

of  the  most  solemn  responsibility.  Nor  within  the 
range  of  my  acquaintance  and  reading,  do  I  know  of 
any  persons  claiming  allegiance  the  slightest  to  the  tra- 
ditions or  doctrines  of  a  Catholic  or  Orthodox  Christi- 
anity, who  would  teach  otherwise  than  this. 

Certainly  those  tinged  with  the  new  Orthodoxy  of 
Andover,  and  the  suspected  missionary  candidates,  dis- 
claim any  such  contrary  purpose,  and  avow  their  adher- 
ence to  the  rule  I  have  stated.  Any  "  Larger  Hope," 
so  called,  has  respect  exclusively  to  those  who  have  not 
had  the  Gospel  preached  to  them  at  all,  and  it  pertains 
to  none  to  whom  the  salvation  offer  is  brought  near. 

In  lands  nominally  Christian,  it  is  held  by  some  that 
there  are  cases  of  those  who  have,  by  painful  circum- 
stances, been  equally  debarred,  and  whose  fault  is 
similar  to  that  of  the  disbarred  heathen,  —  the  fault  of 
Christian  negligence.  I  do  not  know  enough  about 
such  cases  to  affirm  anything  about  them.  I  hope  all 
things.  I  can't  say  how  many  or  l\ow  few  I  believe  of 
the  "  all  things."  Hence  my  charity  is  not  up  to  the 
Pauline.  I  think  the  Andover  brethren  do  not  teach 
second  probation.  They  simply  conjecture  a  probation, 
turning  upon  the  acceptance  or  rejection  of  Christ  for 
those  who  have  had  nothing  of  the  kind  in  this  life.  It 
is  doctrine  of  equal  chances  in  grace  only ;  whether 
true  or  not,  that  is  another  question.  Farrar's  doctrine 
is,  —  so  far  as  it  is  doctrine,  —  that  moral  conditions  and 
laws  are  permanent.  If  a  man  repents  in  the  next  life, 
the  unchangeable  love  of  God  will  receive  that  man. 
But  the  if  is  the  great  word,  and  he  argues  no  probabil- 
ity to  the  effect  that  such  a  thing  will  be.  At  least 
such  is  my  recollection  of  the  impression  I  have 
received  from  him. 

Annihilation  is  in  the  views  of  those  who  hold  it, 


EVEN-TIDE.  275 

the  final  and  eternal  punishment.  There  is  no  second 
probation  with  them.  I  find  another  writer,  a  Presby- 
terian, who  seems  to  teach  that  death  is  the  penalty  of 
sin,  and  therefore  all  die.  But  Christ  has  redeemed 
from  death,  therefore  all  will  arise. 

The  elect  Christians  arise  to  life  and  glory;  the 
remainder  to  a  new  probation  under  redemption,  after 
which  comes  the  Judgment,  with  its  issues  final,  and 
possibly  annihilation  in  the  second  death. 

So  speculation  runs  ad  inftnitum. 

.  .  .  Our  friend  Pettingill  has  indeed  gone.     Could 
he  come  to  us,  what  would  he  tell  us  now  ? 
Very  truly  yours, 

MATSON  MEIER-SMITH. 

It  was  in  the  first  week  of  March  that  Dr.  Meier- 
Smith  wrote  his  last  sermon,  It  was  from  the  Epistle 
of  Saint  James,  the  first  chapter  and  the  twelfth  verse. 

He  preached  it  on  Sunday,  the  6th  of  March,  at  St. 
James's  Church,  and  this  was  the  last  time  that  he 
officiated  there. 

Will  it  be  said  that  the  sketch  which  these  pages 
present  has  been  drawn  with  too  partial  a  pen,  and  that 
love  has  woven  a  veil  of  silver  tissue  about  its  subject, 
that  hides  deficiencies  and  reflects  a  light  from  itself  ? 

Surely  no  such  verdict  will  be  given  by  those  who 
were  admitted  into  the  intimacy  of  Dr.  Meier-Smith's 
home,  or  to  whom  he  came  near  as  pastor  and  friend. 
But  were  it  so,  there  could  be  only  gentle  criticism  for 
her  who  was  blessed,  for  eight  and  thirty  years,  with 
the  love  of  one  whose  whole  life  was  a  ministry  of 
unselfish  devotion. 

To  the  children  who  have  the  right  to  know  some- 
thing of  the  inner  life  of  their  beloved  father,  it  may 


276  EVEN-TIDE. 

be  permitted  to  speak  freely  here  of  the  last  precious 
days,  —  days  which  were  as  an  ever-brightening  path- 
way by  which  God  was  leading  him  into  the  per- 
fect day. 

Often  in  the  still  hour,  just  before  retiring,  sat  hand 
in  hand  by  the  glowing  embers  the  two  whose  lives 
had  been  so  long  in  perfect  union,  and  talked  of  the 
life  in  Christ,  —  here  in  its  feebleness ;  there,  the  other 
side  of  the  veil,  in  all  its  glorious  fulness.  These 
sacred  cominunings  after  all  was  quiet  in  the  house 
began  in  the  days  of  youth  and  early  love,  and  were 
never  given  up.  But  in  these  last  weeks  there  was  a 
depth  of  earnestness  and  a  ripeness  of  thought  which 
makes  the  memory  of  them  precious  beyond  all  that 
had  gone  before.  He  who  led  the  thought,  allowing 
imagination  free  play,  spoke  unreservedly  of  the  future 
life  and  of  the  state  of  the  blessed  dead  before  the 
Resurrection.  These  themes,  he  said,  had  been  con- 
stantly before  his  mind  since  he  had  been  himself  in 
the  "  border  land."  He  had  no  sympathy  with  such 
materialistic  views  as  are  represented  by  books  like  the 
"  Gates  Ajar."  "  Yet,"  he  said,  "  I  often  think  that  the 
continuity  of  our  life  will  seem  to  us  unbroken,  when 
we  pass  through  the  '  Portal  we  call  Death  ; '  and  that 
this  will  be  to  us  a  great  surprise.  ...  I  expect,"  he 
said,  "  that  my  thought  and  study  and  work  will  go 
on;  my  love,  my  service  for  that  love,  —  all  this  I  shall 
find  the  same,  only  with  infinitely  enlarged  possibili- 
ties. If  I  go  first,  I  know  I  shall  often  be  near  you 
and  our  children.  If  you  go  first,  I  shall  believe  the 
same  of  you."  Again  the  talk  would  be  on  the  hope 
of  the  complete  annihilation  of  sin,  —  the  glorious  vic- 
tory over  all  to  be  finally  achieved  through  Christ. 
Then  it  would  turn  upon  the  return  of  the  Lord  to  His 


EVEN-TIDE.  277 

waiting  Church.  These  soul-inspiring  communings 
would  close  with  a  prayer  which  revealed  the  power 
in  his  own  soul  of  the  faith  he  had  preached,  —  a  faith 
which  the  storms  of  life  had  never  shaken,  and  which 
was  founded  upon  a  rock.  And  there  was  a  note  of 
personal  intimacy  with,  and  loving  dependence  upon 
the  Master  to  whom  he  spoke,  which  caused  mingled 
joy  and  pain  to  the  listener.  "He  is  growing  away 
from  me,"  she  sometimes  said  to  herself.  "  Is  he  to 
leave  me  ?  "  Eeassuring  herself  with  the  thought  that 
surely  God  would  not  have  given  him  back  to  her  at 
the  time  when  —  two  years  before  —  their  separation 
had  seemed  so  near  unless  they  were  to  pass  into  the 
evening  of  life  together,  she  suffered  her  fears  to  rest. 
But  by  all  this  she  should  have  known  that  the  sheaf 
was  ripening  for  the  harvest,  and  was  soon  to  be 
gathered  in. 

The  notes  that  follow  are  a  part  of  those  written  by 
Mrs.  Meier-Smith  three  months  later,  recording  while 
fresh  in  her  memory  the  incidents  of  the  next  three 
weeks. 

March  6.  Matson  preached  at  St.  James's  Church. 
He  also  celebrated  the  Holy  Communion.  I  was  suffer- 
ing much,  and  felt  unable  to  go  out.  Had  I  known 
that  this  was  the  last  opportunity  of  hearing  my  be- 
loved husband,  and  receiving  the  Holy  Communion 
from  his  dear  hands,  what  could  have  kept  me  away ! 
On  his  return  he  came  to  me,  and  putting  his  sermon 
in  my  hands  said :  "  There,  little  wife,  read  that ;  I 
think  you  will  like  it  better  than  the  one  you  heard 
last  Sunday." 

This  day,  the  sixth  of  March,  was  the  twenty-first 
anniversary  of  his  Ordination  by  Bishop  Eastburn. 


278  EVEN-TIDE. 

March  12.  We  left  home  to  spend  a  few  days  with 
Norman,  lunching  in  New  York,  and  arriving  at  South- 
ampton in  the  evening.  He  was  well,  and  delighted 
to  welcome  us.  We  found  our  nephew,  Stanley  White, 
there,  who  preached  the  next  day  in  the  Presbyterian 
Church.  His  uncle  went  to  hear  him,  and  expressed 
much  gratification  at  the  bright  promise  he  gave  for 
the  ministry  he  was  just  commencing.  Sunday  and 
Monday  were  mild  and  spring-like  days,  and  walks  to 
the  beach  were  much  enjoyed.  Norman  thought  his 
father  very  bright  and  well,  and  much  improved  since 
his  visit  in  December. 

March  15.  Very  cold,  windy,  and  bleak.  The  night 
was  so  severe  that  it  was  hard  to  keep  warm,  and  I  felt 
anxious  lest  my  husband,  who  since  his  long  illness 
had  been  sensitive  to  cold,  should  suffer  from  such  a 
change.  I  think  now  that  he  may  have  taken  a  fatal 
chill  that  night.  The  next  day  he  assured  me  that  he  was 
all  right,  and  he  took  a  long  walk,  calling  on  some  old 
family  friends  sojourning  at  the  time  in  Southampton. 

March  17.  This  morning  early  we  bade  our  dear 
Norman  good-by,  and  went  to  New  York.  My  dear 
husband  and  I  had  much  pleasant  conversation  during 
this  journey.  We  talked  of  our  plans  for  the  coming 
summer,  and  of  some  entertainments  to  be  given  to 
the  students  and  others,  after  Easter. 

In  New  York,  we  made  a  number  of  calls.  Matson, 
thinking  that  I  looked  tired,  offered  to  call  a  carriage. 
I  assured  him  that  it  was  unnecessary  ;  but  looking  at 
him,  and  observing  an  expression  of  weariness  in  his 
face,  and  an  unusual  pallor,  I  assented  to  his  proposal. 
Never  was  his  manner  more  tender  and  loving  than 
during  this  whole  day.  He  was  very  merry  over  our 
little  supper  in  the  train,  and  when  we  arrived  in  Phil- 


EVEN-TIDE.  279 

adelphia,  about  ten  o'clock,  he  said,  "  It  is  years  since 
we  have  had  such  a  lovely  journey  together  ! " 

March  18.  Matson  appeared  so  very  tired  this  morn- 
ing that  I  urged  him  not  to  go  to  the  Divinity  School, 
reminding  him  that  he  had  not  expected  to  return  until 
to-day.  He  thought,  however,  that  he  ought  to  go,  as 
he  was  in  the  city.  The  next  day  he  felt  better,  and  in 
the  afternoon  we  had  a  long  walk  together.  My 
brother  Erskine  and  his  wife  came  to  us  for  a  short 
visit.  To  be  with  this  dear  brother  was  always  an 
especial  enjoyment  to  my  husband. 

Sunday,  March  20.  During  Saturday  night  Matson 
suffered  considerably  with  pain,  which  he  thought  was 
caused  by  a  slight  cold.  He  had  an  engagement  to 
preach  in  the  evening  at  the  Church  of  the  Incarnation, 
and  I  proposed  that  he  should  telegraph  to  the  Rector, 
Rev.  Dr.  Newlin,  that  he  was  not  able  to  fulfil  it.  But 
he  said  he  would  rest  all  the  morning,  and  was  sure 
that  he  would  be  quite  himself  again  in  the  evening. 

I  was  suffering  much  that  morning,  and  decided  to  go 
to  my  physician  for  relief.  When  I  was  ready  he  arose 
from  the  bed  to  go  with  me.  He  looked  so  ill  that  I 
begged  him  not  to  accompany  me,  and  after  a  little 
hesitation  he  said,  "  Well,  if  you  are  sure  you  can  get 
along  without  me,  perhaps  I  had  better  keep  still."  As 
I  left  the  room  a  premonition  of  trouble  came  over  me. 
I  said  to  myself,  "  He  feels  more  ill  than  he  will  allow, 
or  he  would  not  let  me  go  without  him.  It  is  the  first 
time  since  our  marriage  that  he  has  permitted  me  to  go 
anywhere  alone  when  I  was  not  well." 

In  the  afternoon  he  said  he  was  much  relieved,  and 
quite  able  to  fulfil  his  engagement.  He  had  a  very 
long  ride  to  take  to  the  Church,  and  I  was  anxious 
about  the  fatigue  and  exposure. 


280  EVEN-TIDE. 

As  he  entered  the  library  upon  his  return,  late  in 
the  evening,  I  was  alarmed  at  his  appearance.  His 
face  had  a  gray  pallor,  and  he  looked  exhausted.  I 
exclaimed,  "  I  am  so  sorry  I  let  you  go.  It  has  been 
too  much  for  you."  He  replied,  "  Not  at  all ;  I  have 
felt  well,  and  much  enjoyed  preaching."  We  talked  a 
little  about  the  sermon,  which  was  the  one  he  last 
wrote,  and  which  he  had  preached  at  St.  James's  a 
fortnight  before.  The  text  was,  "  Blessed  is  the  man 
that  endureth  temptation,  for  when  he  is  tried  he  shall 
receive  the  crown  of  life."  No  words  could  have  been 
more  fitting  with  which  to  close  his  public  ministry, 
than  the  last  sentence  of  this  sermon,  spoken  on  the 
last  Lord's  Day  of  his  earthly  life.  "  To-day  the  war- 
fare of  the  Cross !  To-morrow  the  Crown !  Right- 
eousness, peace,  and  glory  for  evermore!" 

My  brother  Erskine,  my  husband,  and  I  sat  in  the 
library  until  midnight,  and  when  we  retired  he  said  he 
thought  that  his  indisposition  was  over. 

On  Monday  morning,  however,  he  came  down  late  to 
breakfast,  and  finding  himself  still  suffering,  remained 
quiet  through  the  day.  That  evening  we  sent  for  our 
physician.  The  doctor  said  he  did  not  consider  the 
trouble  serious,  and  that  a  few  days  of  quiet  would 
relieve  him. 

March  22.  At  three  A.  M.,  I  was  awakened  by  Matson, 
who  was  suffering  great  pain,  which  became  so  intense 
in  an  hour  that  I  called  Emily  and  her  husband.  Find- 
ing all  our  remedies  were  unavailing,  we  sent  for  the 
physician.  Not  before  eight  o'clock  was  there  much 
relief,  and  then  he  was  greatly  exhausted.  There  was 
some  fever,  and  he  was  very  quiet,  not  disposed  to  talk, 
and  under  the  influence  of  anodyne. 

On  Wednesday,  the  23d,  he  was  much  more  comfort- 


EVEN-TIDE.  281 

able,  and  we  were  encouraged  to  think  of  a  speedy  re- 
covery. About  six  o'clock  the  next  morning,  Thursday, 
he  was  attacked  with  another  violent  paroxysm,  which 
lasted  some  hours.  The  doctor  thought  it  neuralgic, 
and  could  not  account  for  the  great  prostration  which 
followed.  I  wrote  in  much  anxiety,  yet  guardedly,  to 
Norman  and  to  my  brothers.  I  was  certainly  appre- 
hensive, but  not  of  a  fatal  result ;  rather  of  a  long  ill- 
ness, perhaps  typhoid  fever. 

He  said  but  little,  dozed  when  not  in  pain,  and  only 
complained  greatly  of  thirst. 

Friday,  March  25.  Matson  rested  well,  and  seemed 
much  more  comfortable.  His  little  granddaughter  came 
in  to  see  him,  and  he  said  to  her,  "  Is  not  next  Monday 
your  birthday  ? "  adding,  "  I  am  so  sorry  I  cannot  go 
out  to  get  you  a  present.  Ask  Mamma  to  get  some- 
thing very  nice  for  you  from  Grandpapa." 

Dr.  Packard  brought  in  another  physician  in  consul- 
tation, and  we  received  an  encouraging  report  after  their 
examination.  No  intimation  was  given  to  us  that  our 
beloved  one  was  in  an  alarming  condition,  nor  do  I  feel 
sure  that  he  thought  himself  dangerously  ill.  He  cer- 
tainly said  nothing  to  me  that  implied  such  an  impres- 
sion ;  indeed  he  was  much  of  the  time  sleeping  under 
the  influence  of  morphine.  The  only  thing  I  recall 
which  assured  me  that  he  was  thinking  more  deeply 
than  he  was  able  to  express,  was  a  question  as  to  the 
day  of  the  month.  When  I  told  him  that  it  was  the 
25th,  he  said,  "  The  Feast  of  the  Annunciation !  The 
day  I  love."  The  almost  feminine  tenderness  of  his 
spirit  had  always  invested  this  day  with  a  charm  for 
him.  He  delighted  to  celebrate  the  Holy  Communion 
on  this  festival,  while  he  was  a  rector,  and  while  living 
in  Philadelphia  always  received  it,  when  possible. 


282  EVEN-TIDE. 

When  the  physician  saw  him  at  noon,  he  said  to 
Emily,  "  You  may  know  that  I  think  your  father  really 
better,  as  I  shall  not  come  in  again  until  evening."  Early 
in  the  evening  another  paroxysm  of  suffering  commenced, 
and  we  sent  in  haste  for  the  doctor.  During  the  two 
hours  that  passed  before  he  came,  our  efforts  to  relieve 
the  distress  were  fruitless.  Though  greatly  exhausted, 
he  surprised  us  by  exclaiming  with  a  strong  voice, 
"  Send  for  the  doctor,  and  tell  him  he  must  either  take 
away  this  pain,  or  see  me  die!'  After  he  was  relieved 
and  sleeping,  we  had  a  full  consultation  with  our  physi- 
cian, who  said  that  in  his  opinion  the  pain  was  princi- 
pally nervous,  that  there  was  no  inflammation,  and  that 
he  could  only  account  for  his  exhaustion,  and  the  se- 
verity of  his  suffering,  by  the  evident  weakness  of  his 
nervous  system  ever  since  his  dangerous  illness  in  1884. 
At  my  earnest  request,  the  doctor  consented  to  spend 
the  night  with  us,  saying,  "  I  do  so,  not  because  I  think 
Dr.  Meier-Smith  needs  me,  but  that  I  may  be  a  comfort 
to  you."  He  insisted,  as  a  condition,  that  I  should  go 
out  of  the  room,  leaving  Matson  entirely  to  the  nurse,  as 
he  himself  was  within  call.  It  was  not  until  about  two 
A.  M.  that  I  went  to  my  room,  leaving  my  dear  husband 
sleeping  quietly.  At  four  o'clock  I  went  in,  and  found 
him  awake.  I  kissed  him,  and  he  said,  "  I  am  getting  on 
nicely."  He  asked  me  to  get  something  for  him,  which 
I  did,  and  as  he  held  my  hand  I  said,  "  I  want  to  stay 
with  you,  dear."  He  answered  decidedly,  "  No,  darling ; 
you  are  worn  out,  and  I  insist  upon  your  going  back  to 
bed,"  which  I  did. 

Saturday,  March  26.  Two  hours  later,  I  was  awak- 
ened by  the  sound  of  suppressed  voices  in  my  husband's 
room.  I  found  the  doctor  and  the  nurse  endeavoring 
to  administer  stimulants  to  him.  He  was  very  pale, 


EVEN-TIDE.  283 

with  his  eyes  closed.  In  answer  to  my  inquiry,  the 
doctor  said,  "  It  is  a  sinking  turn."  I  think  it  was  the 
physician's  manner,  more  than  his  words,  which  made 
me  know  instantly  that  my  beloved  one  was  to  leave 
me.  I  called  Emily  and  her  husband,  telling  them  to 
come  at  once  if  they  would  see  their  father  again. 
From  that  moment  all  hope  left  me,  yet  I  remained 
perfectly  calm.  I  suppose  all  that  human  skill  could 
do  was  done.  Another  physician  was  sent  for,  and 
hypodermics  were  given  to  stimulate  the  heart,  but  all 
was  in  vain,  for  heart  failure  had  occurred.  When 
Emily  came  in,  she  kissed  her  father  and  asked  him 
how  he  felt.  He  whispered, "  More  comfortable."  From 
this  time  there  was  no  further  sign  of  suffering. 

As  I  remember  the  succeeding  hours  I  am  amazed  at 
my  self-possession  and  my  ability  to  give  every  neces- 
sary order.  Surely  it  was  a  strength  not  my  own  which 
so  upheld  me  that  I  did  not  utter  a  moan,  or  shed  a 
tear.  The  very  gates  of  Paradise  seemed  opening  be- 
fore me,  as  I  watched  my  beloved  husband,  in  perfect 
repose,  going  down  into  the  river  without  a  groan  or 
a  shudder.  They  said  he  was  unconscious  during  the 
hours  that  followed.  I  do  not  think  so  ;  I  believe  that 
he  was  half  with  us,  and  half  away,  unable  to  speak, 
but  calmly  willing  to  have  it  so,  and  gently  resting  in 
the  arms  of  his  Saviour.  When  I  whispered  words  of 
support  from  the  Psalms  or  the  Gospels,  he  pressed  my 
hand.  I  know  he  heard  me.  Dean  Bartlett  was  with 
us,  and  read  the  Commendatory  Prayer.  Twice  as  I 
sat  with  my  arm  supporting  the  beloved  head,  he 
kissed  me  in  response  to  my  request.  I  said  to  him, 
"  My  darling,  you  know  how  gladly  I  would  go  with 
you  if  I  could,  but  I  must  wait  for  our  children's  sake  ! 
If  you  know  what  I  say,  kiss  me."  He  pressed  my 


284  EVEN-TIDE. 

hand  and  kissed  me,  though  now  very  feebly.  I  said 
"  Can  you  give  me  any  word  for  our  dear  Norman  ? " 
I  saw  his  lips  move,  and  putting  my  ear  down  to  them, 
I  heard  distinctly  "Love!"  It  was  fitting  that  the 
word  which  so  expressed  his  whole  life,  should  be  his 
last  on  earth ! 

During  these  waiting  hours  all  was  peace  and  calm- 
ness with  him  and  with  us.  His  eyes  opened  some- 
times with  a  far-away  gaze,  and  a  few  moments  before 
the  last  an  expression  of  wonderful  brightness  passed 
over  his  face,  as  though  he  had  a  sight  of  ineffable 
glory.  Then  he  slowly  closed  his  eyes,  as  he  was  gently 
borne  over  the  river. 

When  it  seemed  that  he  could  remain  with  us  but  a 
few  moments  longer,  I  asked  our  dear  friend  Dr.  Mills, 
who  though  not  the  attending  physician,  had  hastened  to 
us  in  response  to  our  summons,  to  tell  us  when  the  end 
was  at  hand.  He  replied  that  there  could  be  but  a  few 
more  pulsations  of  the  heart.  I  said  to  Dean  Bartlett, 
"  Will  you  give  the  blessing  I  want  ? "  He  divined 
my  meaning,  and  with  tender  voice  and  uplifted  hand, 
pronounced  the  benediction  in  the  office  for  the  Visita- 
tion of  the  Sick,  which  my  beloved  husband  had  used 
so  often  for  the  departing  spirit.  "  Unto  God's  gracious 
mercy  and  protection  we  commit  thee !  The  Lord  make 
His  face  to  shine  upon  thee,  and  be  gracious  unto  thee  ! 
The  Lord  lift  up  His  countenance  upon  thee,  and  give 
thee  peace  both  now  and  evermore!"  As  kneeling 
around  the  bed  we  responded,  Amen,  Dr.  Mills  said 
"  It  is  over  !  "  The  spirit  had  passed  to  its  rest  while 
the  blessing  of  peace  alone  broke  the  silence!  The 
hour  was  half  past  eleven. 

Around  the  bed  were  Emily  and  her  husband,  my 
brothers-in-law,  Dr.  Lee  and  Mr.  Starin,  Dean  Bartlett, 


EVEN-TIDE.  285 

Dr.  Mills,  and  our  faithful  Agnes.  It  seemed  almost 
that  our  mortal  eyes  could  see  the  divine  Arms  which 
upheld  him  and  supported  us.  What  else  could  have 
enabled  us  to  go  through  these  hours  as  we  did,  con- 
scious of  no  wish  to  withhold  our  departing  one,  but 
only  of  an  overpowering  sense  of  the  divine  Presence, 
and  that  we  were  standing  so  near  the  veil  which  now 
separated  us  from  him  that  we  could  almost  discern 
the  glory  of  the  Paradise  into  which  he  had  entered. 

Telegrams  came  to  us  during  the  morning  from 
Norman,  which  much  comforted  me,  assuring  us  that 
he  was  hastening  homeward.  He  did  not  arrive  until 
late  in  the  evening,  and  I  was  able  to  meet  him  with 
entire  composure. 

In  the  days  that  followed  we  were  greatly  comforted 
by  the  testimonials,  constantly  received,  of  love  and 
esteem  for  him  who  had  so  suddenly  been  taken 
from  his  home  and  work  on  earth.  Eelatives  and 
friends,  his  brethren  of  the  clergy,  members  of  the 
Divinity  School,  and  many  others,  offered  all  the  con- 
solation that  it  is  possible  to  receive  from  human  aid 
and  sympathy.  The  Vestry  of  St.  James's  offered  the 
Church  for  the  last  services,  expressing  the  desire  that 
they  should  take  place  there.  We  knew  that  his  pref- 
erence would  have  been  for  the  most  quiet  and  unos- 
tentatious arrangements,  but  felt  that  it  was  due  to  his 
many  friends  in  that  parish  to  yield  to  their  wishes, 
and  that  he  should  be  carried  to  his  last  resting-place 
from  the  Chancel  where  he  had  so  often  ministered. 

The  funeral  services  took  place  on  Tuesday,  the 
29th,  at  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  There  was  a 
quiet  assembling  at  the  house,  principally  of  friends 
from  New  York. 

My  beloved  husband  was  scarcely  changed  by  his 


286  EVEN-TIDE. 

short  illness,  and  was  beautiful  in  the  serene  majesty 
of  Death.  Eobed  in  surplice  and  stole,  he  held  in  his 
hands  the  little  Prayer  Book  which  I  gave  him  at  the 
time  of  his  Ordination.  On  the  casket  lay  Palms  and 
Easter  lilies.  As  I  kissed  him  for  the  last  time,  I  could 
hear  his  voice  with  its  joyous  ring  in  the  text  which 
more  than  any  other  I  associate  with  him :  "  Our 
Saviour  Jesus  Christ  hath  abolished  Death ! " 

The  services  in  St.  James's  Church  were  conducted  by 
the  Eev.  Dr.  Bartlett,  the  Dean  of  the  Divinity  School. 
Bishop  Whitaker  presided,  the  Faculty  of  the  Divinity 
School  and  other  clergymen  being  in  the  Chancel.  His 
students  of  the  Seminary  bore  the  casket,  followed  by 
the  Vestry  of  St.  James's  Church. 

The  simple  and  beautiful  service  of  our  Church  was 
said.  The  music,  as  he  would  have  desired,  was  grand 
and  triumphant,  closing  with  the  noble  hymn,  — 

"  For  all  the  Saints  who  from  their  labors  rest, 

Who  Thee  by  faith  before  the  world  confessed  ; 
Thy  Name,  0  Jesus,  be  forever  blessed, 
Alleluia  ! " 

Many  of  the  clergy  of  the  diocese,  and  a  large  num- 
ber of  friends  from  the  various  parishes  of  Philadelphia 
were  present,  testifying  to  the  general  regard  and  af- 
fection cherished  for  him  in  the  city  where  for  eleven 
years  he  had  exercised  a  faithful  ministry. 

On  the  following  day  all  that  was  mortal  of  my 
beloved  husband  was  laid  at  rest  in  Woodlawn  Ceme- 
tery, New  York.  A  granite  monument  in  the  form  of 
a  coped  tomb  has  been  placed  there,  on  the  top  of 
which  lies  a  polished  cross.  On  one  end  of  the  stone 
is  engraved  the  text,  "  Our  Saviour  Jesus  Christ  hath 
abolished  death ; "  and  on  the  other  end  are  the  Greek 


EVEN-TIDE.  287 

words,  "  EIS  TON  STE&ANON"    On  the  side  is 
carved  in  raised  letters, — 

MATSON  MEIEE-SMITH,  S.  T.  D. 

April  4th,  1826.  March  26th,  1887. 

Collect  for  All  Saints'  Day. 

0  Almighty  God,  who  hast  knit  together  thine  elect 
in  one  communion  and  fellowship,  in  the  mystical  body 
of  thy  Son  Christ  our  Lord;  grant  us  grace  so  to  fol- 
low thy  blessed  Saints  in  all  virtuous  and  godly  living, 
that  we  may  come  to  those  unspeakable  joys  which 
thou  hast  prepared  for  those  who  unfeignedly  love 
thee  ;  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.  Amen. 


LETTERS    FROM    FRIENDS 

AND   OTHEE  TKIBUTES. 


19 


letter  from 


FROM  among  the  letters  of  sympathy  received  by  Dr. 
Meier-Smith's  family,  a  few  from  personal  friends 
have  been  selected  from  which  to  make  extracts. 

The  limits  of  this  volume  forbid  the  introduction  of 
many  others  which  bear  equally  strong  witness  to  the 
affection  of  the  writers  for  the  friend  who  had  been  so 
suddenly  removed  from  them. 

32  ST.  MARK'S  PLACE,  NEW  YORK,  March  27. 

MY  VERY  DEAR  MRS.  MEIER-SMITH,  —  How  can  I  express 
in  words  the  grief  and  sorrow  which  fill  my  heart  at  this 
moment ! 

The  sad  tidings  of  dear  Dr.  Meier-Smith's  sudden  removal 
by  death  have  so  surprised  and  overwhelmed  me,  that  T  can 
do  no  more  at  present  than  to  say  that  you  and  all  the  sor- 
rowing ones  have  my  profoundest  sympathy  and  earnest 
prayers  that  our  God  and  Saviour  may  be  to  each  and  all 
the  support  and  comfort  you  so  much  need.  I  will  not 
speak  of  my  own  deep  sense  of  personal  loss.  You  know 
what  have  been  our  relations  for  so  many  years,  but  of  these 
I  must  not  speak  now.  My  thoughts  are  of  you  and  yours. 
I  wish  I  could  say  or  do  something  to  comfort  you.  But  I 
am  utterly  powerless.  I  can  only  turn  to  my  dear  Lord  and 
ask  Him  to  be  very  near  to  you.  He  will  minister  as  none 
other  can.  To  Him  you  may  pour  out  your  whole,  heart  and 
feel  assured  He  will  hear  every  sigh,  and  count  and  treasure 
up  every  tear.  I  wish  I  could  write  more,  for  my  heart  is 


292  LETTERS  FROM  FRIENDS. 

full,  but  I  am  too  feeble  and  too  much  overpowered  by  my 
emotions  to  do  more  than  say  these  few  words.  God  help 
and  bless  you  all,  so  prays 

Your  loving  old  friend, 


from  Edward  A.  Strong,  Esq. 

BOSTON,  March  29,  1887. 

.  .  .  You  will  know  that  I  can  in  some  measure  under- 
stand, because  I  knew  Matson,  the  extremity  of  the  grief  to 
you  and  your  children  because  of  his  departure,  and  by  love 
and  sympathy  enter  with  you  into  the  shadows.  But  I  may 
say  out  of  the  fulness  of  my  heart  that  the  world  is  poorer 
to  me  since  Matson  Meier-Smith  has  left  it.  I  loved  him 
truly,  much  as  I  could  have  loved  a  brother.  You  and  he 
are  the  earliest  friends  associated  in  my  mind  with  my  wife. 
He  joined  our  hands  in  the  indissoluble  clasp  of  a  true  mar- 
riage. He  has  done  me  a  great  deal  of  good  in  the  years 
gone  by,  by  his  Christian  cheerfulness,  and  indeed  helping 
me  not  a  little,  as  I  fain  believe,  to  escape  the  misery  of  a 
morbid  element  in  my  religious  life.  Contact  with  him 
was  always  a  tonic  of  hope  and  good  cheer  to  me.  .  .  . 

I  do  not  forget  your  dear  children.  God  bless  them  ! 
Ah,  what  a  husband,  what  a  father,  what  a  friend ! 

From  the  Rev.  Prof.  Martin  Kettogg. 

BERKELEY,  CALIFORNIA,  November  17,  1887. 
.  .  .  But  how  much  there  is  which  cannot  possibly  be 
put  into  type  !  All  written  description  and  written  eulogy 
fails  to  bring  out,  to  near  friends,  the  warm  and  vital  per- 
sonality of  the  departed.  It  is  well  that  the  survivors  can 
"  read  between  the  lines,"  and  put  in  for  themselves  all  that 
filled  up  and  rounded  out  the  life  and  presence  which  have 
ceased  on  earth.  No  memorial  book  is  needed  for  you.  His 
whole  life  is  ineffaceably  engraven  on  your  heart 


LETTERS  FROM  FRIENDS.  293 

From  Edmund  Clarence  Stedman,  Esq. 

NEW  YORK,  November  6,  1887. 

...  He  was,  in  truth,  an  ideal  exemplar  of  Christian 
manhood,  —  strong,  faithful,  intellectual,  loyal,  devoted. 
Your  life  has  been  richly  "  worth  living ; "  were  you  not 
his  wife  for  almost  forty  years'? 

From  the  Rev.  Prof.  Edward  A.  HincJcs. 

ANDOVER,  MASS.,  November  1,  1887. 

...  I  am  glad  to  be  numbered  among  those  who  cherish 
his  memory.  I  recollect  most  vividly  and  with  affection  his 
manly  face,  pleasant  voice  (one  of  the  most  tunable  I  have 
ever  heard),  his  kind,  helpful  words.  He  was  a  true  friend, 
born  to  cheer  and  help  others. 

From  the  Rev.  L.  C.  Baker. 

PHILADELPHIA,  March  27, 1887. 

.  .  .  Dr.  Meier-Smith's  sudden  death  has  come  upon  us 
like  a  great  shock,  and  filled  us  with  a  common  sorrow.  His 
Church,  the  Divinity  School,  the  city,  and  his  neighbors, 
will  all  greatly  miss  him. 

I  had  not  known  Dr.  Meier-Smith  long  enough  to  know 
him  intimately,  and  yet  a  short  acquaintance  was  enough 
to  reveal  to  me  his  kindly,  genial  nature,  his  large-hearted 
Christian  spirit,  his  broadly  human  sympathies,  his  neigh- 
borly kindness,  his  gentleness  and  courtesy.  I  had  counted 
it  as  a  pleasure  in  store  for  me  that  I  should  know  him 
better. 

From  the  Rev.  Dr.  T.  H.  Hawks. 

SPRINGFIELD,  MASS.,  January  7,  1888. 

...  I  am  very  glad  to  be  permitted  to  join  with  a  great 
company  of  friends  in  assuring  you  that  in  your  sore  bereave- 
ment you  have  the  deepest  sympathy  of  all  who  knew 
him.  .  .  . 


294  LETTERS  FROM  FRIENDS. 

You  rejoice,  as  we  all  do,  in  the  noble  service  he  was 
permitted  to  render  in  the  pulpit  and  the  professor's  chair, 
and  the  testimony  of  many  witnesses  that  he  did  a  great  and 
good  work  cannot  fail  to  comfort  you. 

From,  the  Rev.  W.  W.  Andrews. 

WETHERSFIELD,  CONN.,  November  8,  1887. 

...  I  thank  you  for  the  Memorial  of  your  dear  and 
honored  husband,  which  you  have  had  the  kindness  to  send 
me.  It  is  most  valuable  for  the  testimonies  to  his  character 
and  worth  from  those  who  knew  him  best  in  the  later  years 
of  his  life,  and  who  could  speak  with  the  warmth  of  personal 
affection. 

But  a  like  testimony  could  have  been  borne  by  very 
many  who  knew  him  in  earlier  life,  and  when  laboring  in  an- 
other Communion,  and  whose  love  for  him,  and  admiration 
of  the  beauty  of  his  life,  was  not  less,  perhaps,  than  that  of 
those  with  whom  he  was  most  closely  associated  at  the  last. 

It  was  my  happiness  to  know  him,  both  before  and  after 
this  religious  or  (more  fittingly)  ecclesiastical  change,  and 
he  was  beloved  by  me  at  every  stage  of  his  life.  I  was 
struck  with  the  heartiness  with  which  he  welcomed  me  to 
his  house,  when  he  could  no  longer  invite  me  to  his  pulpit ; 
and  I  honored  at  once  the  fidelity  with  which  he  stood  by 
the  laws  and  ways  of  the  Church,  and  the  Catholic  spirit 
which  overleaped  all  barriers  of  sect  and  party.  It  is  a 
great  joy  to  think  that  such  a  gift  of  God  to  His  Church, 
and  through  the  Church  to  all  His  creatures,  is  an  abiding 
gift,  never  to  be  withdrawn.  He  rests  now  for  a  little 
while,  but  the  time  of  true  and  blessed  activity  is  still  to 
come  ;  and  then  all  that  was  most  characteristic  of  him,  all 
his  noblest  powers  and  qualities,  will  come  forth  transfigured 
and  glorified.  In  that  day  we  shall  forget  all  the  sorrow  of 
his  present  hiding  away  in  the  resting-place  of  the  blessed 
saints  who  sleep  ;  for  he  and  we  shall  then  have  found  our 
true  sphere  both  for  work  and  for  Communion, 


LETTERS  FROM  FRIENDS.  295 

From  the  Rev.  Prof.  Peters. 

NEW  YORK,  March  27,  1887. 

.  .  .  You  do  not  know  how  good  he  has  been  to  me,  how 
kind  and  unselfish.  It  seems  to  me  as  though  he  never  met 
me  without  showing  me  some  kindness,  some  little  word  of 
appreciation,  some  offer  of  the  most  friendly  and  affectionate 
and  helpful  sort.  I  have  gone  to  him  so  often  when  I  was 
fretted  and  worried  and  despondent,  and  he  was  always 
ready  to  listen  and  help  me,  as  though  he  himself  had  no 
troubles  and  nothing  to  do  but  bear  mine.  It  seemed  to 
come  so  natural  to  him  that  I  do  not  think  he  knew  the 
great  value  of  the  services  he  rendered  me.  The  Father 
will  tell  him  and  reward  him,  and  may  that  Father  comfort 
and  help  you  now  ! 

From  the  Rev.  Francis  Lobdell,  D.D. 

BUFFALO,  November  9,  1887. 

.  .  .  Please  accept  my  thanks  for  the  pamphlet  which 
you  so  kindly  sent  me.  I  have  read  it  with  great  interest. 
The  testimony  of  those  who  have  known  your  husband  so 
intimately  for  the  last  eleven  years  is  none  too  emphatic.  I 
have  known  him  more  than  twice  eleven  years.  We  ended 
our  ministry  among  the  Congregationalists  in  the  same  city, 
and  about  the  same  time.  For  more  than  a  year  we  had 
talked  frilly  together  on  the  subject,  and  I  shall  never  for- 
get the  efffhestness  with  which  he  advised  me  not  to  hesitate 
to  apply  for  Orders  in  the  Church,  saying  that  if  he  were  as 
young  as  I  he  would  not  delay  a  minute,  but  he  was  afraid 
he  was  too  old  to  make  the  change  !  And  yet  three  months 
later  he  was  a  candidate  for  Holy  Orders  ! 

And  I  think  he  was  never  so  happy  as  after  the  change 
was  made.  He  has  done  a  splendid  work  in  the  Church,  a 
work  which  will  follow  him. 


296  LETTERS  FROM  FRIENDS. 

From  the  Bishop  of  Western  New  York, 

BUFFALO,  March  27,  1887. 

MY  DEAREST  COUSIN,  —  A  Sunday  newspaper  has  just  been 
sent  in  to  me,  by  a  friend,  in  which  I  read  —  oh,  astounding 
news !  —  that  my  beloved  friend,  Dr.  Meier-Smith,  has  gone 
before  me,  young  as  he  was  compared  with  me.  Can  it  be 
sol  Oh,  most  suddeu  and  most  painful !  I  loved  him,  and 
he  lately  wrote  me  one  of  the  best  letters  I  have  had  from 
anybody  for  a  long  time.  Daily  have  I  designed  to  write 
and  thank  him  for  it.  It  did  not  require  an  answer,  for  it 
was  an  answer  to  one  of  mine ;  but  it  deserved  one,  and  I 
was  grateful  for  it. 

Must  it  be  so  ?  God's  holy  will  be  done,  and  may  you  be 
able  to  sustain  this  fearful  blow.  Divine  Love  often  calls 
for  heroic  faith,  as  when  Abraham  puts  forth  his  hand  to 
slay  his  son.  Let  us,  with  like  faith,  say  only,  "  It  is  His 
will.  Amen." 

I  am  going  to  Church,  and  will  bear  you  on  my  heart  in 
prayer. 

Little  did  I  imagine  that  it  would  ever  be  my  lot  to  write 
you  on  such  a  subject.  But  God  sustain  you,  my  precious 
cousin,  you  and  yours  ! 

Affectionately, 

A.  CLEVELAND  COXE. 


Ctfbuteg, 


THE  RECORDED  MINUTE  OF  THE  TRUSTEES  AND 
OVERSEERS  OF  THE  DIVINITY  SCHOOL. 

AT  the  joint  meeting  of  the  Trustees  and  Overseers  of  the 
Divinity  School  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  in  Phila- 
delphia, held  June  8,  1887,  the  following  minute  was  placed 
on  record  :  — 

On  the  26th  day  of  March  last,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Matson 
Meier-Smith,  Professor  of  Homiletics  and  Pastoral  Care  in 
our  Divinity  School,  was  removed  in  the  providence  of  God 
from  the  cares  and  duties  of  the  present  world  to  the  felicity 
promised  to  God's  people. 

His  death  came  suddenly  upon  the  members  of  his  classes, 
his  fellows  of  the  Faculty,  and  upon  his  many  friends.  Only 
a  few  days  before  they  had  seen  him  in  his  accustomed 
place ;  and  scarcely  a  hint  of  his  illness  had  reached  them, 
when  the  sad  report  came  that  he  was  dead,  and  they  should 
see  his  face  no  more.  He  was  a  man  to  be  remembered  by 
all  with  whom  he  came  in  contact.  Genial,  earnest,  gener- 
ous almost  to  a  fault,  full  of  kindly  purposes,  considerate 
even  of  those  with  whom  he  differed,  his  death  left  a  void 
not  only  in  the  immediate  circle  of  the  Seminary  and  the 
Church,  but  in  the  large  round  of  the  world  about  him.  But 
in  all  his  kindly  and  frank  ways  he  was  faithful  to  his  Church 
and  his  creed,  and  to  the  service  of  God  and  man,  to  which 
he  had  devoted  his  life. 


298  TRIBUTES. 

Professor  Meier-Smith  was  born  in  New  York,  in  182G. 
His  earlier  days  were  passed  in  the  house  of  his  father,  a 
prominent  physician  and  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  ;  hence  he  was  trained  in  the  religious  views  of  that 
body  of  Christians.  He  came,  on  his  mother's  side,  of  the 
race  of  the  Muhlenbergs,  and  was  a  descendant  of  one  of 
the  most  celebrated  ministers  of  that  name  in  the  Lutheran 
Church  in  America.  After  his  graduation  at  Columbia  Col- 
lege, his  mind  fixing  itself  upon  the  sacred  ministry,  he  was 
educated  in  the  Union  Theological  Seminary,  and  ordained  in 
1849.  His  career  as  a  minister  was  attended  with  great 
success  and  favor,  and  in  1863  he  received  from  Columbia 
College  the  degree  of  S.T.D.  But  his  thoughts  soon  after 
were  turned  toward  our  own  Church  ;  and  after  the  usual 
hesitations  and  delays,  he  was  finally  ordained  to  the  Diaco- 
nate  in  this  Church,  by  Bishop  Eastburn,  of  Massachusetts, 
in  March,  1866. 

In  this  new  field  he  held  several  important  charges,  and 
wherever  he  ministered  he  left  behind  him  a  precious 
memory  which  lingers  still.  He  loved  his  great  work  of 
preaching  the  Gospel,  and  was  seldom  happier  than  when 
enabled  to  engage  in  it ;  so  that  in  the  years  in  which  he 
was  at  work  in  the  Divinity  School  he  was  in  the  pulpit 
nearly  every  Sunday.  To  this  position  of  the  Chair  of  Hom- 
iletics  and  Pastoral  Care  he  was  chosen  in  1876,  holding  it 
for  over  eleven  years.  The  record  of  these  years  is  fresh  in 
the  minds  of  all  the  members  of  this  Committee,  who  know 
with  what  zeal  and  fidelity  he  fulfilled  his  trust,  and  more 
need  not  be  said  here.  He  did  a  good  work ;  he  earned  a 
good  name  ;  he  has  won  a  good  reward  from  Him  who 
knows  us  as  we  are.  These  things  cannot  be  forgotten  by 
those  who  knew  him.  While,  therefore,  we  resign  him  to 
his  place  in  our  memories,  as  the  Church  has  already  con- 
signed him  to  the  bosom  of  his  Cod,  may  we  all  be  able  to 
say,  "  Let  our  last  end  be  like  his." 


TRIBUTES.  299 

COMMUNICATION  FROM  THE   FACULTY  OF  THE 
DIVINITY    SCHOOL. 

MY  DEAR  MRS.  MEIER-SMITH,  —  I  am  directed  by  the 
Faculty  of  the  Divinity  School  to  convey  to  you  the  assur- 
ance of  our  deep  sympathy  with  you  and  your  stricken 
family,  and  also  to  communicate  the  following  notice,  which 
was  ordered  to  be  entered  upon  our  minutes :  — 

We  wish  to  place  on  record  our  grief  at  the  loss  of  our 
dear  colleague,  the  Rev.  Matson  Meier-Smith,  D.D.,  who 
passed  hence  Saturday,  March  26,  in  the  sixty-first  year  of 
his  age.  For  eleven  years  he  had  occupied  the  Chair  of 
Homiletics  and  Pastoral  Care.  He  was  likewise  Secretary 
of  the  Faculty,  —  a  position  which,  without  hope  of  reward, 
he  filled  year  after  year  with  unvarying  patience  and  a  faith- 
fulness beyond  praise. 

He  was  dear  to  us  for  his  unfailing  kindliness,  courtesy,  and 
consideration  of  the  rights,  thoughts,  and  feelings  of  those 
with  whom  he  was  associated.  Whatever  kind  or  friendly 
thing  could  be  said  of  or  to  any  one,  he  knew  how  to  say. 
His  many  affectionate  services  were  rendered  so  unobtru- 
sively that  few  realized  till  afterward  the  value  of  that 
which  he  had  done  for  them. 

His  own  heavy  burdens  he  bore  with  unselfish  cheerful- 
ness, always  ready  to  help  bear  the  burden  of  another. 

So  sudden  is  his  removal  that  our  sense  of  loss  and  be- 
reavement can  scarcely  be  measured  even  by  ourselves. 

Yours  sincerely, 
April  2,  1887.  JOHN  P.  PETERS,  Secretary. 

COMMUNICATION  FROM  THE    STUDENTS'   ASSOCIA- 
TION  OF  THE   DIVINITY   SCHOOL. 

To  MRS.  MATSON  MEIER-SMITH  : 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Students'  Association  of  the  Divinity 
School,  a  committee  was  appointed  to  express  to  you  the 
sympathy  of  the  students  in  your  present  sorrow. 


300  TRIBUTES. 

Our  acquaintance  with  Dr.  Meier-Smith  and  our  inter- 
course with  him  in  life  at  the  School  have  heen  such  that  we 
feel  as  individuals  that  it  is  a  personal  friend  who  has  been 
taken  from  us. 

Now  that  his  work  among  us  is  ended,  and  we  can  no 
longer  profit  by  his  present  instruction,  we  can  only  trust 
and  believe  that  his  work  shall  live,  and  that  the  seed  sown 
in  the  past  shall  bear  fruit  in  us  ;  that,  being  dead,  he  shall 
yet  speak. 

It  is  scarcely  necessary  for  us  to  speak  of  our  sorrow,  or  of 
the  lightening  of  it  that  comes  from  our  hope  for  the  dead 
in  Christ.  Knowing  that  both  he  and  you  shared  also  in 
that  blessed  hope,  we  ask  for  all  those  to  whom  his  death 
has  brought  grief,  the  peace  that  comes  from  Christ  our 
common  Master. 

Very  sincerely, 

L.  W.  BATTEN, 
LAURENCE  B.  RIDGELY, 
WILLIAM  Du  HAMEL, 
March  28, 1887.  Committee. 

RESOLUTIONS  OF  THE  ALUMNI  OF  THE  DIVINITY 
SCHOOL. 

WHEREAS,  At  a  meeting  of  the  Alumni  Association  of  the 
Divinity  School  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  in  the 
city  of  Philadelphia,  held  on  June  8,  1887,  a  committee 
was  appointed  to  draft  resolutions  touching  the  recent  de- 
mise of  the  Rev.  Matson  Meier-Smith,  D.D.,  Professor  of 
Homiletics  and  Pastoral  Care,  and  Secretary  of  the  Faculty, 
therefore  be  it 

Resolved,  That  the  death  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Meier-Smith  has 
deprived  the  Divinity  School  of  a  faithful,  zealous  friend,  the 
Faculty  of  a  distinguished  and  able  member,  and  the  stu- 
dents of  a  peculiarly  sympathetic  guide  and  counsellor. 

Resolved,  That  during  a  pastorate  covering  a  period  of 
twenty-eight  years,  the  manly  principles  he  taught  by  his 


TRIBUTES.  301 

life  and  work  were  such  as  to  ennoble  all  with  whom  he 
came  in  contact. 

Resolved,  That  the  sad  and  afflicting  dispensation  of  Provi- 
dence which  has  removed  him  from  our  midst  has  deprived 
many  of  a  dear  personal  friend,  the  community  of  a  good  and 
faithful  citizen,  and  the  Church  of  a  wise,  able,  and  effective 
laborer. 

Resolved,  That  we  sincerely  sympathize  with  his  family  in 
their  deep  affliction  for  the  loss  of  one  who  in  domestic  life 
was  the  affectionate  husband,  kind  father,  and  generous 
protector. 

Resolved,    That   a  copy  of  the  above  resolutions  be  con- 
veyed to  the  family  of  the  deceased  as  expressive  of  the  deep 
respect  and  sympathy  of  the  Association. 
Signed, 

E.  L.  HOWELL, 
MARTIN  AIGNER, 
L.  W.  BATTEN, 
A.  D.  HEFFEBN, 

F.  M.  TAITT, 

Committee. 

COMMUNICATION  FROM  THE  CLERICAL  BROTHER- 
HOOD. 

An  Association  representing  the  Clergy  of  the  Diocese  of  Pennsylvania. 
MRS.  MATSON  MEIER-SMITH: 

DEAR  MADAM,  —  The  brethren  in  the  ministry  of  your 
late  beloved  husband,  assembled  in  their  Brotherhood-Meet- 
ing this  morning,  appointed  the  undersigned  to  convey  to 
you  the  expression  of  their  deep  sympathy  with  yourself  and 
your  household  in  the  sad  bereavement  which  has  just 
overtaken  you. 

In  behalf  of  the  Brotherhood  they  would  also  express  to 
you  the  high  esteem  and  tender  regard  in  which  he  was  held 
by  them,  and  their  sense  of  the  loss  which  they  and  the 
Church  in  this  Diocese  have  sustained  by  his  departure,  so 


302  TRIBUTES. 

sudden  and  unlooked-for  by  them.  They  recall  with  a  melan- 
choly satisfaction  his  ever  warm  and  genial  manner,  his 
prompt  obligingness  in  service  for  others,  his  devotion  to 
duty,  and  his  deep  interest  in  all  that  concerned  the  cause 
of  Christ  and  His  Church. 

That  he  has  been  called  away  from  us  so  soon,  we,  for  our- 
selves, deplore  ;  that  he  has  been  called  to  a  higher  life  and 
ministry,  we  have  a  good  hope ;  and  for  that  hope  we  give 
thanks  to  Him  who  "  by  His  death  overcame  death,  and  by 
His  rising  to  life  again  brought  life  and  immortality  to 
light." 

Praying  for  the  abundance   of  God's  grace  to  be  granted 
you  and  yours  in  this  the  hour  of  your  deep  trial,  we  remain, 
Your  friends  and  brethren  in  Christ, 

BENJAMIN  WATSON, 
ISAAC  GIBSON. 
March  28, 1887.  H.  L.  DDHRINQ. 

From  the  Address  delivered  at  the  Diocesan  Convention, 
May  3,  1887,  by  the  Bishop  of  Pennsylvania,  the  late  Rt. 
Rev.  William  Bacon  Stevens,  D.D. :  — 

"We  were  all  greatly  startled  a  few  weeks  ago  when 
we  heard  of  the  unexpected  death  of  Rev.  Dr.  Matson  Meier- 
Smith,  who  departed  this  life  on  the  morning  of  the  26th  of 
March,  in  the  sixty-first  year  of  his  age. 

"  A  graduate  of  Columbia  College  and  of  the  Union  Theo- 
logical Seminary,  New  York,  he  began  his  ministry  in  the 
Presbyterian  Church.  After  eighteen  years  of  service,  as 
pastor  of  Congregational  churches,  he  found  himself  greatly 
drawn  toward  our  Church,  and  in  1866  was  ordained  Deacon, 
by  Bishop  Eastburn,  of  Massachusetts. 

"  As  a  clergyman  of  our  Church  he  became  Rector  of  Trin- 
ity, Newark,  New  Jersey,  and  St.  John's,  Hartford,  Conn. 

"  In  1876,  he  was  elected  Professor  of  '  Homiletics  and 
Pastoral  Theology,'  in  the  Philadelphia  Divinity  School,  and 
held  that  chair  at  the  time  of  his  decease. 


TKIBUTES.  303 

"  Dr.  Meier-Smith  was  a  man  of  much  loveliness  of  per- 
sonal character,  genial,  sympathetic,  tender,  yet  always 
manly  and  upright.  His  scholarly  abilities  were  large  and 
well  cultivated.  His  pastoral  work  was  ever  regarded  as 
very  acceptable  to  all  classes  in  his  several  congregations  ; 
his  sermons  were  carefully  prepared,  and  were  often  of 
marked  power ;  his  home  life  was  beautifully  tender  and 
sunshiny,  and  his  Christian  bearing  as  a  man,  as  a  clergy- 
man, and  as  a  professor  very  distinctive  and  true.  He  might 
almost  be  said  to  have  died  in  the  harness,  for  the  Sunday 
before  his  death  he  preached  in  the  Church  of  the  Incarna- 
tion ;  and  that  very  night  he  was  taken  ill,  and  before  the 
next  Lord's  Day  dawned  he  was  called  to  be  '  forever  with 
the  Lord.'  It  seems  almost  something  more  than  a  coinci- 
dence, and  more  like  one  of  those  unconscious  prophetic 
utterances,  spoken  under  impulses  which  we  cannot  de- 
scribe, and  pointing  to  a  future  still  behind  the  veil,  that 
the  last  words  of  his  last  sermon  in  the  last  week  he  lived 
should  be  these  :  — 

"  '  To-day  the  warfare  of  the  Cross !  To-morrow  the  Crown !  Right- 
eousness, peace,  and  joy  for  evermore.' " 


'  Death  is  another  life.     We  bow  our  heads 
At  going  out,  we  think,  and  enter  straight 
Another  golden  chamber  of  the  King's, 
Larger  than  this  we  leave,  and  lovelier, 
And  then  in  shadowy  glimpses,  disconnect, 
The  story,  flower-like,  closes  thus  its  leaves, 
The  will  of  God  is  all  in  alL" 


SERMONS. 


SERMONS. 


HpHESE  sermons,  selected  from  the  large  number  left  in 
•^  completed  form  by  Dr.  Meier-Smith,  have  not  been 
chosen  because  they  surpass  many  of  the  others  either  in 
breadth  of  thought,  originality  of  treatment,  or  excellency  of 
style. 

His  careful  choice  of  topics,  his  habitual  clearness  of  expres- 
sion, and  his  conscientious  care  in  preparation  insured  great 
uniformity  in  the  attractiveness  and  force  of  his  pulpit  utter- 
ances. The  selection  was  determined  rather  by  the  fact  that 
while  these  sermons  well  represent  Dr.  Meier-Smith's  man- 
ner of  dealing  with  themes  widely  different,  and  thus  are  a 
fair  illustration  of  his  ordinary  preaching,  they  are  also  all 
of  comparatively  recent  date,  one  of  them  indeed  being  the 
last  either  written  or  preached  by  him. 

It  is  hoped  that  as  they  are  read  by  those  who  in  memory 
will  recall  the  earnest  spirit  and  tender  unction  as  well  as  the 
persuasive  eloquence  and  forceful  utterance  of  the  preacher, 
these  sermons  may  be  endued  again  with  something  of  the 
interest  and  power  that  attended  the  living  voice. 

E.  N.  W. 


UNITY  AMID  DIVERSITY. 

There  are  diversities  of  operations,  but  it  is  the  same  God  which 
workeih  all  in  all.  —  1  CORINTHIANS,  xii.  6. 

'TWERE  is  an  important  sense  in  which  every  indi- 
J.  vidual  of  mankind  stands  purely  and  entirely 
alone,  whatever  be  in  other  respects  the  points  of  con- 
tact with  others,  or  the  relationships  of  race.  In  this 
sense  each  one  lives  unto  God,  having  a  dependence  arid 
a  responsibility  unshared  by  any  other  being.  In  the 
common  intercourse  of  life  the  fact  is  recognized.  There 
is  conscious  personality,  or  selfhood.  There  are  rights 
pertaining  to  me,  and  rights  pertaining  to  the  other  one 
who  is  not  I.  There  is  a  circle  about  my  own  individ- 
uality which  no  alien  foot  may  cross,  and  there  is  a  circle 
around  my  neighbor  within  which  I  cannot  intrude. 

Yet,  strangely,  when  Christian  people  deal  with  facts 
of  the  spiritual  life,  within  the  domain  of  what  may  be 
called  personal  and  individual  religious  experience,  tak- 
ing the  term  in  its  common  acceptation,  this  momen- 
tous elemental  fact  is  of tener  forgotten  than  remembered. 
A  vast  perplexity  and  much  uneasiness,  not  to  say  un- 
happiness  and  consequent  cramping  of  energies  and  use- 
fulness, is  engendered  by  a  readiness  to  make  other 
persons'  lives  and  spiritual  records  tests  and  touchstones 
of  our  own.  And  not  a  little  Christian  charity  is  sac- 
rificed when,  in  a  similar  forgetfulness,  we  make  our 
own  knowledge  or  moral  success  or  private  conscience 


UNITY  AMID  DIVERSITY.  309 

the  measure  and  rule  whereby  we  judge  others  about 
us.  Many  a  one  has  lived  the  years  of  life  subject  to 
bondage,  and  never  able  to  rejoice  in  the  liberty  of 
Christ,  afraid  even  to  come  unto  the  Holy  Table  and 
receive  the  sacramental  Body  and  Blood,  simply  be- 
cause the  conscious  spiritual  life  failed  to  correspond 
with  that  which  was  typical  in  the  local  community,  or 
with  the  portrayal  in  the  journal  of  some  favorite  saint. 
And  many  another  has  grieved,  amid  unuttered  sorrows, 
over  the  apparently  hopeless  case  of  souls  dear  after  the 
flesh,  who  never  seemed  to  be  religious  in  the  right  way, 
— that  is,  the  set  way  of  the  books  or  the  sect, — and  yet 
doubtless  were  among  those  who  feared  God  and  sought 
to  keep  His  commandments. 

Now,  that  the  great  fact  of  personal  individuality  is 
not  destroyed  in  the  Kingdom  of  God,  or  neutralized  by 
religion,  and  that  a  common-sense  recognition  of  this 
fact  is  right  in  matters  of  the  faith,  is  a  truth  clearly 
acknowledged  by  Saint  Paul  in  many  places,  and  espe- 
cially in  this  chapter  and  this  text.  In  the  Body  of 
Christ,  the  vast  Church  of  His  redeemed  and  baptized 
flock,  there  are  many  members  of  various  use  and  honor, 
and  various  gifts  of  spiritual  endowment.  And  in  the 
grand  arms  of  Divine  charity  all  are  to  be  comprehended. 
For  amid  diversities  of  gifts  and  operations  there  is  the 
same  Spirit,  the  same  Lord,  the  same  God  working  all 
in  all. 

For  our  present  purpose,  and  in  the  line  of  thought  I 
have  indicated,  let  us  then  first  apply  the  principles 
enunciated  by  the  Apostle  to  the  facts  of  diversity  in 
the  beginnings  of  the  conscious  religious  life  of  the 
Christian  believer. 

We  may  select  or  call  up  at  random  from  the  Christian 
company  —  under  any  names,  I  had  almost  said — a  few 


310  UNITY  AMID  DIVERSITY. 

individuals  familiar  to  our  acquaintance,  say  out  from 
the  present  congregation,  and  question  them  respecting 
facts  in  their  spiritual  history.  We  may  ask  one  and 
another :  When  did  you  begin  the  Christian  life  ?  Under 
what  circumstances  did  you  first  recognize  yourself  as  a 
disciple  of  Christ  and  a  believer  in  Him  ?  Or,  if  the 
person  was  born  outside  and  far  away  from  the  Church 
of  Christ :  By  what  steps  and  through  what  pathways 
were  you  guided  to  her  portals  and  the  hopes  of  her 
children  ?  And  we  shall  find  that  the  paths  by  which 
they  were  led,  and  the  circumstances  wherein  the  con- 
sciousness of  faith  and  holy  purpose  was  reached,  and 
the  personal  acts  of  faith  and  devotion  which  marked  the 
occasion,  are  as  different  as  their  names  or  nationalities 
or  complexions  ;  as  markedly  individual  as  their  natural 
personal  traits. 

With  one  there  is  no  remembrance  of  any  particular 
time  or  circumstance  suggestive  of  what  in  a  common 
parlance  is  called  "  Conversion."  Made  in  infancy  a 
member  of  Christ,  and  nurtured  in  the  Church  of  God, 
there  has  never  been  a  day  wherein  there  was  a  thought 
alien  to  the  Christian  position.  It  was  always  the 
habit  to  serve  God,  always  the  intent  and  purpose,  and 
never  has  this  one  doubted  the  Divine  grace  or  the  Di- 
vine provision.  Of  the  convulsed  experiences  whereof 
some  may  tell,  this  one  knows  nothing  at  all. 

Another  will  tell  of  a  life  given  to  selfishness,  plea- 
sure, worldliness, — a  life  in  which  God  was  forgotten,  — 
and  of  some  awakening  to  the  sin  and  peril  and  shame 
of  such  a  life  in  a  world  where  God  is  known  and 
wherein  the  Son  of  God  once  lived  and  died  for  man's 
redemption.  Awakened  —  and  a  good  word  is  that,  for 
men  need  to  be  awakened  amid  their  sins  and  fatal  re- 
pose, awakened  out  of  their  sleep  to  see  the  facts  which 


UNITY   AMID   DIVERSITY.  311 

environ  them,  and  the  judgment  ahead  of  them, — 
awakened  was  this  one  to  unwonted  thought ;  awakened 
to  inquire  who  he  was,  whence  he  came,  whither  he  is 
going  ;  awakened  to  see  himself  a  sinner,  defiled  greatly 
peradventure,  —  a  sinner  against  law  and  goodness 
and  grace,  verily  a  defiant  sinner,  defiant  because  so 
willingly  blind  and  so  heartily  godless ;  awakened  to 
see  himself,  although  of  good  repute  among  men  and  a 
very  Pharisee  as  touching  the  law,  a  sinner  in  God's 
sight.  And  this  awakened  one  will  narrate  how  he 
sought  God's  face,  saying,  "Father  I  have  sinned,"  and 
began  thenceforth  to  live  beholding  the  things  unseen 
and  eternal. 

One  will  tell  of  struggles  with  temptations,  with  self- 
will  and  pride,  long  and  fierce,  before,  in  the  spirit  of 
the  little  child,  submission  was  made  of  intellect  and 
heart  and  life  to  God,  or  the  proud  man  bowed  to  re- 
ceive the  holy  gift  in  the  Christian  Baptism.  One  will 
tell  of  dark  days  of  despondency,  and  of  light  coming 
slowly,  with  hope  and  peace,  as  the  Gospel  of  Christ 
gradually  dawned  upon  the  spirit.  To  one,  there  was 
attraction  in  the  pure  life  and  words  of  Jesus,  and  the 
heart  sought  His  yoke.  To  another,  the  cross  riveted 
the  thoughts,  and  the  risen  Lord  lifted  the  soul ;  and 
from  all  darkness  and  sin,  or  from  all  self-seeking  or 
worldly  splendor,  he  turned,  enamored  of  that  Prince 
of  Life,  and  sworn  in  irrevocable  fealty  to  His  service 
for  life,  for  death,  in  this  world,  and  in  all  worlds 
beyond. 

The  like  and  yet  other  tales  will  be  told  over  a  wide 
range  of  the  Christian  profession,  illustrating  the  same 
great  truth  of  diversity  of  operation.  In  all  branches 
of  the  universal  Church,  and  amid  all  Christendom,  on 
the  one  hand  churchly  nurture  rears  in  churchly  ways, 


312  UNITY  AMID  DIVERSITY. 

within  the  courts  of  God,  the  Samuels,  the  John  Bap- 
tists, the  Timothys,  faithful  soldiers  of  God  and  His 
Christ,  strangers  to  marked  conversion  experiences,  but 
who  from  the  womb  have  been  sanctified,  and  from 
childhood  have  known  the  Scriptures.  On  the  other 
hand,  within  the  Church  —  rescued  from  ignorance  and 
sin  and  trampled  grace,  from  the  bondage  of  wrong  in- 
structions and  burdened  consciences,  from  heathenism  — 
there  have  always  been  the  publicans  crying,  "  God  be 
merciful  to  me  a  sinner;"  the  prodigals  sick  of  the 
husks,  saying,  "  I  will  arise  and  go  to  my  Father ; "  the 
Sauls  inquiring  suddenly  on  Damascus  roads,  "  Lord 
what  wilt  thou  have  me  to  do  ;  "  the  Augustines,  pro- 
fligate children  of  praying  mothers,  paralyzed  with  ter- 
ror at  Scripture  utterances,  the  sword  of  the  Spirit 
coming  into  the  soul,  and  with  mighty  spasm  of  the 
frame  putting  off  the  old  man  and  putting  on  the  new  ; 
the  Luthers  affrighted  at  dire  strokes  of  Providence  and 
struggling  onward  in  bewilderment  until  Christ's  Light 
is  revealed ;  those  whom  some  special  interpositions  of 
mercy  bring  to  God's  presence  in  penitence,  like  the 
soldier  whose  Bible  stopped  the  bullet  on  its  way  to  his 
heart ;  or  those  again  who  are  moved  by  sudden  tides 
of  memory  and  tender  thought,  like  one  who,  far  from 
friends  and  kindred,  was  seated  beneath  the  olive  trees 
in  Gethseinane,  and  in  loneliness  began  to  meditate  on 
Him  who  once  bowed  in  agony  there  for  men,  and  then 
and  there  said  from  overflowing  heart,  "  0  Jesus,  hence- 
forth to  Thee  and  Thy  service  I  do  give  my  poor  self, 
joyfully,  wholly ! " 

Such  are  "  diversities  of  operations  "  in  the  leadings 
of  the  Holy  Ghost  in  earlier  stages  of  the  conscious 
Christian  life. 

For  our  second  point,  I  ask  you  to  observe  that  the 


UNITY   AMID  DIVERSITY.  313 

diversity  is  equally  marked  in  the  maturer  developments 
of  the  same  life. 

The  style  of  manifestation  of  the  spiritual  life  and 
character  is  to  a  great  extent  a  resultant  of  education, 
temperament,  the  prevalent  surrounding  thought,  cli- 
mate, —  possibly  in  more  degrees  than  we  may  suppose, 
—  and  very  largely  of  the  ecclesiastical  circumstances 
or  relationships  of  the  individual.  Providence  and 
grace  work  together,  and  are  not  at  cross  purposes. 

It  is  a  familiar  fact  that  different  theological  systems 
or  schools  of  thought  and  discipline  produce  piety  in 
correspondingly  different  types :  the  strongly  Calvinistic, 
and  its  most  opposite,  for  example ;  the  high  and  reveren- 
tial order  of  traditional  Anglicanism  on  the  one  hand,  and 
the  ways  of  dissent  and  independency  on  the  other,  for 
another  example ;  while  schools  of  devout  mysticism 
bring  forth  their  own  delicate  fruitage,  whether  amid 
the  retirement  of  the  monastery,  or  beneath  the  sunlight 
and  amid  the  freedom  of  the  Eeformation. 

The  stern  Calvinist  Puritan  battles  for  his  life  among 
Divine  Decrees,  Predestination,  and  Free-will  Mysteries, 
reposing  sometimes  with  a  superhuman  equanimity  in 
his  assured  belief,  however  irreconcilable  by  human 
logic  his  positions  of  faith ;  or  again,  in  very  depths  of 
woe  lest  his  own  calling  and  election  be  not  sure,  he 
having  peradventure  lost  the  signs  thereof.  A  Chris- 
tian he,  dwelling  in  mountain  fastnesses,  strong  in  the 
arm,  bold  in  heart,  nimble  of  foot  as  the  Alpine  hunter, 
revelling  amid  torrents,  serene  beside  the  avalanche, 
peaceful  and  at  home  where  clouds  gather  blackest  and 
tempests  howl  fiercest,  he  recks  little  of  the  world 
below,  its  ways  or  its  fate.  His  thoughts  are  of  Him 
who  inhabiteth  eternity,  and  it  is  for  him  to  crucify  all 
human  affections  and  desires,  and  to  submit  to  the  In- 


314  UNITY  AMID  DIVERSITY. 

fiiiite  orderings.  The  stern  and  the  terrible,  the  wrath- 
ful, the  severe,  the  man-humbling  aspects  of  God,  are 
his  delight 

There  is  again  another  child  of  God  whose  ripened 
vision  beholds  chiefly  the  other  side  of  the  Divine  char- 
acter, the  loving  beauty  of  the  Father's  face.  He  looks 
not  so  much  at  the  Infinite  and  Absolute  and  Unsearch- 
able, the  God  who  overthrows  the  hosts  of  Pharaoh  in 
the  Bed  Sea,  and  whose  presence  is  amid  clouds  on 
Sinai  with  thunderings  and  trumpet  sound  and  earth- 
quakes, as  at  God  manifest  in  human  flesh  in  the  sweet 
face  of  Jesus.  To  this  man  there  are  no  clouds  round 
about  the  Throne  which  are  not  resplendent  with  the 
rainbow  which  the  seer  of  Patmos  saw,  nor  any  frown- 
ing summits  of  Divine  counsel  or  orderings  which  are 
not  beautiful,  tipped  with  the  glory  of  God's  smile. 
This  man  has  sympathy  with  man,  broad  as  the  Gospel 
he  receives.  He  dwells  in  the  sunshine,  amid  lovely 
valleys,  verdurous  with  perpetual  summer,  yet  ready 
with  the  other  and  with  all  valiant  souls  to  endure,  to 
labor,  to  serve  as  a  soldier  in  any  fight  of  faith  and  love, 
to  suffer,  and  to  wait  as  a  man  of  God,  obedient  to  God's 
will,  unto  God's  glory. 

There,  again,  is  the  honest  face  of  one  of  an  every-day 
piety,  loving  God  and  loving  man.  His  brain  is  un- 
wearied by  discussions  of  theological  parties ;  his  soul 
is  distracted  by  no  spiritual  paradoxes.  He  is  addicted 
neither  to  raptures  nor  depressions.  He  cannot  speak 
the  dialect  of  camp-meetings,  or  of  more  staid  prayer- 
meetings.  He  does  not  trouble  himself  about  Church 
politics,  provided  only  there  are  no  lights  on  the  altar 
nor  innovations  in  ritual  where  he  worships,  and  no 
Canons  concerning  Orders  and  no  Rubrics  are  broken 
by  Low  Churchmen.  He  believes  according  to  the  creed, 


UNITY  AMID   DIVERSITY.  315 

and  by  God's  help  he  endeavors  to  live  in  the  commu- 
nion of  the  Catholic  Church,  in  all  honesty  and  sobriety 
among  men,  doing  good  as  he  has  opportunity,  visiting 
the  fatherless  and  widows  in  their  affliction,  and  keeping 
himself  unspotted  from  the  world. 

And,  once  more,  we  meet  the  Christian  of  highly  ner- 
vous temperament  and  marked  intellectuality,  trained 
to  earnest  and  discriminating  thought,  given  to  self-in- 
trospection and  analysis  of  motive,  and  analysis  of  all 
things  whether  of  man  or  God,  —  a  man  whose  spiritual 
life  is  strongly  moulded  upon  the  cast-iron  lines  of  the 
sect  to  which  he  belongs,  radical,  positive,  sure  he  is 
right,  intolerant  of  those  who  differ,  yet  true  to  his  con- 
victions and -to  his  God;  narrow  and  intolerant,  just 
because  he  cannot  help  being  so,  being  unable  to  make 
himself  over  again.  This  man  may  be  a  Presbyterian, 
or  he  may  be  a  Churchman,  or  he  may  be  a  Eoman 
Catholic  by  profession.  He  is  stiffly  ascetic  perhaps  in 
his  nature.  His  theology  may  be  that  of  Schoolmen. 
He  may  be  given  to  fastings  and  prayers.  He  may 
submit  himself  to  penance  after  the  mediaeval  renais- 
sance style,  confessing  to  his  Anglican  priest  in  the 
vestry-room  or  the  study,  and  receiving  absolution  and 
direction  for  penance  under  cover  of  relief  to  his  bur- 
dened conscience,  almost  mourning  that  there  is  no  im- 
palement or  martyr  fire  to  be  risked  thereby ;  or  he  may 
devoutly  conform  to  all  the  discipline  of  the  old  Papal 
hierarchy,  and  carry  even  superstition  and  bigotry  into 
zeal  for  God's  honor  till  they  be  almost  virtues. 

But  in  all  such  men,  of  various  kinds  and  trainings, 
coming  from  all  points  of  the  theological  compass  and 
from  extremes  of  spiritual  latitude  and  longitude,  we 
recognize  the  fear  of  God,  the  love  of  God,  supreme  re- 
gard for  conscience,  and  obedience  to  Christ  their  Lord 


316  UNITY  AMID  DIVERSITY. 

as  they  hear  and  understand  Him,  working  out  these 
cardinal  elements  of  character,  all  in  their  different 
manifestations.  Then,  besides  types  like  these  pro- 
duced by  education  and  surroundings,  do  we  not  see 
endless  sub-varieties,  so  to  speak,  in  Christian  life,  re- 
sults of  temperament  and  constitutional  idiosyncracy 
perhaps  ?  Religion,  like  water,  some  one  has  well  said, 
has  flavor  of  the  soil  over  which  it  flows,  and  whose 
elements,  taken  up  in  solution,  impregnate  it.  There 
are  sparkling  disciples  who  see  all  things  with  joyous 
eyes,  and  whose  utterances  always  delight  us.  Nothing 
ever  comes  amiss  to  them.  There  is  exhilaration  where 
some  others  of  us  would  find  smart  and  pain.  There 
are  dull  disciples,  the  stream  of  whose  spiritual  life  and 
influence  runs  slowly  at  dead  level,  yet  it  bears  weights 
upon  its  sluggish  tide  and  carries  the  good  brethren 
quietly  toward  the  haven.  There  are  melancholic  disci- 
ples, and  sanguine,  hearty  men  and  women.  There  are 
rude  and  sturdy  souls  good  for  pioneer  service,  like 
Samson  and  Gideon.  There  are  those  who,  David- 
like,  sweep  the  harp-strings  from  deepest,  tenderest 
penitential  plaints  up  to  the  jubilant  notes  of  seraphic 
triumph. 

There  are  those  whose  lifetime  is  a  mixture  of  con- 
flict and  bondage,  fightings  within  and  fightings  with- 
out, with  passions  and  propensities  and  temptations, 
with  doubts  and  unbeliefs  and  fears  of  death,  so  that 
there  would  be  absolute  despair  but  for  a  poor  flickering 
faith  that  there  is  somewhere  a  God  and  a  Saviour. 

There  are  others,  happy  souls,  to  whom  from  first  to 
last  life  is  a  bright  service  of  God,  its  good  things  His 
gifts,  its  trials  His  appointments,  the  comforts  amid 
them  His  tender  caressings ;  and  who  ever  say,  "  I 
know  Whom  I  have  believed/' 


UNITY  AMID  DIVERSITY.  317 

But  —  and  we  are  now  fully  prepared  for  my  last 
point  —  amid  these  diversities  of  religious  life  and 
manifestation,  there  is  the  great  principle  of  unity ; 
namely,  — 

It  is  the  same  God  who  worketh  all  in  all. 

For  the  principle  of  regenerate  life  is  obedience  to  God, 
—  loving  obedience,  obedience  that  believes,  obedience 
coming  from  faith ;  and  this,  being  a  divinely  implanted 
principle,  imparts  unity  to  the  variety  of  Christian  life 
manifested,  and  creates  the  true  Christian  brotherhood, 
and  the  family  resemblance.  Christian  people  believe 
God,  and  obey  God.  This  belief  and  obedience  comes 
from  His  Spirit.  God  renews,  moulds,  and  sanctifies 
them  all. 

This  is  Saint  Paul's  teaching  and  the  teaching  of  our 
Lord,  and  it  is  accepted  truth  in  Christian  creeds. 

Putting  which  truth  together  with  the  facts  which 
so  far  I  have  been  permitted  to  recall  to  you,  we  may 
gather  up  two  lessons,  the  first  being,  — 

The  right  and  duty  of  preserving  the  independence  of 
personality  in  religious  life. 

For  since  obedience  of  the  heart  and  life  to  God  is 
the  main  thing  in  religion,  and  the  way  of  the  life  eter- 
nal ;  and  since  God  has  made  men  and  endowed  them 
so  variously,  bringing  about  rich  variety  of  fruit  and 
flower  in  the  garden  of  His  grace,  —  it  is  utterly  incon- 
gruous to  suppose  that  we  can  improve  upon  the  divine 
arrangement,  either  by  toning  down  the  aspect  of  va- 
riety or  by  bringing  about  a  monotonous  hue  and  ab- 
solute sameness.  He  would  be  adjudged  a  lunatic  of 
the  first  water  who  made  experiments  of  this  sort  in  the 
material  world,  —  in  his  garden,  for  instance  ;  or  as  an 
educator,  paying  no  regard  to  aptitudes  and  tastes  of 
a  thousand  pupils  while  superintending  their  develop- 


318  UNITY  AMID  DIVERSITY. 

ment.  To  be  fretted  and  despondent  of  God's  mercy, 
and  fearfully  afraid  because,  when  reading  narrations 
of  pious  folk  who  have  gotten  into  print,  or  poring  over 
books  of  devout  counsel  and  procrustean  beds  for  self- 
examination,  we  cannot,  for  our  very  lives,  subscribe  to 
every  feeling  put  on  record,  nor  to  every  sentiment,  nor 
make  satisfactory  reply  to  the  probings  of  thought  and 
motive  —  in  other  words,  because  we  cannot  be  at  once 
the  good  man  or  woman  we  are  studying  —  is  neither 
reasonable  nor  at  all  expedient.  As  well  might  one  be 
discontented  because  he  cannot  fashion  his  countenance 
anew  after  an  admired  model,  or  add  a  cubit  to  the 
stature,  or  change  body  with  some  other. 

Be  yourself,  and  be  honest.  Be  true  to  yourself. 
God  has  a  place  for  you  —  just  precisely  you  —  on  the 
earth  and  in  His  kingdom  of  grace.  You,  with  your 
personal  characteristics,  are  not  a  mistake  upon  this 
planet  nor  in  His  Church,  any  more  than  any  moun- 
tain or  tree  or  river  or  lake  is  a  mistake  because  it 
has  its  own  form,  outline,  course,  or  scenic  effect,  differ- 
ent from  all  others.  So  serve  Him  who  has  made  you 
and  redeemed  you,  and  trust  Him,  in  the  true  and  manly 
independence  of  His  creature  and  His  child. 

And  our  other  lesson  grows  so  out  of  this  one  that  it 
needs  but  to  be  named,  it  being  but  the  common  duty 
of  Christian  charity,  into  wonderful  expansion  upon 
which  virtue  Saint  Paul  bursts  forth  immediately  after 
the  argument  whence  our  text  is  taken. 

It  is  the  One  God  working  in  all  Christ's  Body, 
though  diversity  of  operation  correspond  with  diver- 
sities of  members. 

Then  judge  not,  either  your  fellow-Christians  or  your 
fellow-men,  or  other  companies  of  Christians,  denomi- 
nations or  sects,  or  branches  of  the  Catholic  Church 


UNITY  AMID  DIVERSITY.  319 

other  than  the  one  to  which  you  are  allotted ;  judge  no 
man  by  any  narrow  thoughts  or  tests  of  your  own 
private  stock,  or  the  current  tests  of  your  circle  or 
sect.  Amid  diversities  of  operations  are  some  perad- 
venture  neither  you  nor  I  can  understand  ;  and  possibly 
you  and  I  may  be  an  enigma  to  some  other  survey. 

Neither  let  us  despair  of  any,  but  thank  we  God 
for  the  inworkings  of  His  grace  vaster  than  our  ken ;  for 
the  very  vastness  of  the  temple  He  is  building  up ;  for 
many  and  various  stones  that  the  Master  Builder  knows 
how  to  place ;  for  the  glory  that  shall  be  made  clear 
when  the  top  stone  crowns  the  pile  sublime,  —  and  the 
Church,  made  up  of  our  human  kind  and  purged  from 
all  imperfection,  shall  stand,  without  spot  or  wrinkle 
or  any  such  thing,  a  Church  of  Glory. 


CARE  CAST  UPON  GOD. 

Catting  all  your  care  upon  Him,  for  He  carethfor  you. 
1  PETER  v.  7. 

HAVING  once  read  or  heard  words  like  these  can 
we  ever  forget  them?  And  who  having  once 
taken  in  their  meaning  could  be  persuaded  to  give  up 
the  Christian  idea  of  God  and  to  accept  any  other 
"first-cause"  doctrine  in  place  of  it? 

This  wonderful  universe  in  which  we  live!  Far 
beyond  us,  and  encompassing  us  on  every  side  as  in  vast 
and  yet  vaster  concentric  spheres,  are  the  revolutions 
and  cycles  revealed  by  our  mathematical  science  sup- 
plementing the  splendors  of  the  heavens.  There  is  the 
sublime  perfection  of  motion.  The  immense  and  un- 
numbered stars  and  systems  pursue  their  way ;  they 
never  fail  nor  swerve.  We  can  make  accurate  compu- 
tations concerning  them.  We  can  stake  all  earthly 
interests  upon  these  computations. 

Then  upon  our  own  earth,  how  straightforward  the 
march  of  all  things  in  their  order  and  succession  ! 

Summer  and  winter,  seed-time  and  harvest,  cold  and 
heat,  sunshine  and  black  clouds,  day  and  night,  keep  up 
their  alternations.  We  keep  track  of  them.  Storms 
drive  through  our  atmosphere,  their  force  invisible,  — 
but  on  their  own  paths,  some  of  which  we  have  found 
out.  Particles  of  all  kind  of  material  substance,  expired, 
exhaled,  in  comminuted  or  vapory  forms,  going  off  from 


CARE   CAST  UPON  GOD.  321 

our  bodies,  from  lungs  and  pores,  going  off  from  our 
gardens  and  our  waste-heaps,  going  off  in  the  smoke 
from  our  chimneys,  are  —  as  chemistry  teaches  and  ex- 
plains—  re-gathered,  re-distributed,  kept  in  perpetual 
use  and  in  perpetual  transmigration :  so  that  the  bal- 
ance of  organic  nature  is  preserved,  and  no  atom  is 
ever  lost  or  extinguished. 

The  labor  of  the  hand  or  of  the  brain  is  productive 
so  surely  and  so  inevitably.  Then  there  seem  to  be 
just  as  fixed  regularities  and  certainties  in  what  we  call 
the  realm  of  morals.  We  speak  of  rewards  to  virtue. 
We  say,  "Murder  will  out,"  and  we  recognize  appro- 
priate penal  results  for  moral  wrongs.  And  when  we 
survey  the  social  life  of  man,  or  the  State  life,  we 
observe  the  same  thing.  There  is  a  course  of  empire. 
The  law  of  the  rise  and  thrift  of  a  nation  is  as  clear  as 
the  law  of  a  tree's  growth.  The  law  of  decay  and 
ruin  is  as  clear  as  the  process  of  death  in  a  plant  or  in 
a  man.  What  is  this  all  ?  What  is  the  secret  of  it  ? 
Some  men  speak  of  law  as  if  this  were  the  full  ex- 
planation. We  hear  great  wisdom  in  which  words  like 
"  force,"  "  development,"  "  protoplasm  "  come  in  quite 
roundly.  We  have  great  names  of  philosophers  and 
scientists  sounded  in  our  ears,  and  are  puzzled  by  their 
various  "  hypotheses,"  —  which  only  mean  suppositions 
or  theories. 

There  are  men  who  do  not  like  to  retain  God  in  their 
knowledge ;  and  who  travel  a  long  distance  to  keep 
that  name  out  of  their  mouths. 

Everything  that  science  and  skill  can  accomplish  — 
the  navigation  of  the  seas,  the  prediction  of  astronomi- 
cal changes,  the  process  of  invention  and  discovery  —  is 
traced  to  some  law  or  force,  but  the  explanation  goes 
no  further. 

21 


322  CARE  CAST  UPON  GOD. 

Now,  we  who  are  Christians  love  to  put  the  word 
"  God "  into  our  solution  of  all  these  marvels.  And 
that  word  "  God "  means  a  good  and  wise  and  loving 
and  almighty  Father,  a  Father  of  omnipresent  power 
and  efficiency,  and,  what  is  more,  of  an  omnipresent 
heart  full  of  tenderness  and  comfort. 

Look  at  Saint  Peter's  expression  in  the  text.  God 
"  careth  for  you." 

Before  the  little  child  was  born  in  your  bouse,  how 
many  things  were  done  to  give  it  a  comfortable  wel- 
come to  the  world,  which  would  have  been  such  a  cold 
place  but  for  the  provision.  And  how  you  anticipate 
all  the  wants  and  needs  of  the  living,  breathing  babe  ! 
You  sleep  verily  waking,  lest  any  harm  come  through 
too  sound  a  sleep  or  through  any  neglect.  That  is 
care  taken  for  the  child. 

Go  into  the  chamber  of  a  sick  person.  There  is  a 
a  darkened  window.  There  on  the  table  beside  the 
bed  stand  flowers,  put  there  by  thoughtful  love.  There 
are  the  prescribed  medicines.  There  is  a  plate  with 
bits  of  cracked  ice,  and  there  is  a  fever-allaying  drink  ; 
while  seated  at  the  bedside  is  a  faithful  watcher  whom 
not  a  breath  escapes,  nor  a  delirious  word,  nor  a  turn 
of  the  hand,  nor  a  motion  of  the  eye.  That  is  caring 
for  the  sufferer.  So  is  the  thoughtfulness  which  has 
sent  a  book  for  the  solace  of  some  sad  hour.  So  is 
the  loving  look  upon  the  sick  bestowed  by  a  friend 
coming  in. 

"We  take  passage  and  go  aboard  the  ocean  steamer. 
We  are  keenly  alive  to  the  perils  of  the  sea  —  at  least 
some  of  us  —  when  we  step  upon  the  deck.  But 
everything,  even  amid  the  confusion,  wears  the  air  of 
order  and  discipline.  Presently  after  parting  with 
friends  we  make  our  inspection.  The  arrangements 


CARE  CAST  UPON  GOD.  323 

for  safety  and  for  a  degree  of  comfort  are  all  we  could 
expect.  The  officers  and  men  are  at  their  various 
posts.  The  bells  strike  the  hours.  By  and  by  we  hear 
the  rush  of  the  gang  of  men  heaving  the  log.  There 
in  that  little  room  is  a  chart,  and  the  captain  makes 
his  notes  upon  it  after  the  "  observation "  is  taken,  so 
that  he  can  tell  just  where  we  are  upon  the  trackless 
sea.  We  look  about  at  night  as  well  as  in  the  daytime; 
there  is  increasing  watchfulness.  The  men  are  always 
at  the  wheel.  The  officers  are  always  on  the  bridge. 
Down  in  the  engine  room,  and  amid  the  fires,  always 
we  find  men  awake,  earnest,  intent  upon  duty.  And 
in  due  time  after  a  certain  number  of  revolutions  of 
the  screw  and  a  careful  following  a  prescribed  route 
marked  out  in  New  York  or  in  Liverpool,  we  find 
ourselves  safely  landed  "  where  we  would  be."  There 
has  been  care,  to  bring  us  to  this  happy  termination. 

The  toil  of  the  plowman  and  the  sower  and  the 
reaper  ;  the  busy  industry  in  the  workshop,  behind  the 
counter,  in  the  office ;  the  economical  management  of 
a  household  which  keeps  expenses  within  income  and 
saves  a  little  for  laying  up,  if  only  a  dollar  in  a  year, 
— is  what  we  mean  when  we  say  that  care  is  taken. 
Care  plans  and  provides.  Care  sees  that  there  is  no 
waste,  or  as  little  as  possible.  Care  looks  after  the  ten 
thousand  little  and,  by  themselves,  insignificant  things, 
which  are  really  so  vital  in  their  connections,  and  so 
essential  to  our  preservation  and  happiness. 

Fruits  and  flowers  spring  from  care.  Public  parks 
and  private  gardens  thrive  by  care.  Nothing  would 
flourish  without  it.  Hinges  would  grow  rusty,  the 
shingles  fall  from  the  roof  and  the  clapboards  from  the 
sides  of  the  house,  if  nobody  took  any  care.  Even 
churches  would  tumble  into  ruins,  beginning  with 


324  CARE  CAST  UPON  GOD. 

some  leak  which  lets  in  the  rain,  were  there  no  good 
wardens  or  faithful  people  to  look  after  repairs. 

Now,  Saint  Peter  says,  "  He  careth  for  you."  Who 
would  strike  out,  I  say  again,  the  Christian  idea  of  God, 
and  travel  his  pathway  on  earth  with  the  substitution 
which  some  propose  for  this  ?  "  God  careth  for  you." 
God  is  full  of  care,  —  loving  care ;  care  for  individual 
needs ;  care  for  the  grass  and  the  lilies  and  the  hairs  of 
the  head  and  the  sparrows  and  the  cattle,  and  for 
you  and  me.  Essayists,  lecturers,  and  schoolmasters 
may  say  what  they  please,  but  would  your  heart  give 
up  this  God  ?  This  God  to  whom  you  can  say  "  Our 
Father,"  and  whom  you  can  ask  for  "daily  bread"  if 
you  need  ? 

We  may  be  told  that  the  peace  and  happiness  which 
come  from  such  a  faith  in  God  and  about  God  are  after 
all  only  charms  resulting  from  a  delusion.  Perhaps. 
But  it  is  a  sweet  intoxication  to  be  able  to  take  such 
an  outlook  upon  the  world,  —  yea,  over  the  flood  of 
waters  upon  which  we  are  embarked.  If  it  be  only 
an  idea,  yet  it  is  an  idea  of  wonderful  power  to  sustain 
and  strengthen,  that  so  great  a  heart  beats  in  love,  and 
so  prescient  a  vision  orders  in  love,  and  so  ready  a  hand 
all  unseen  brings  about  in  love  while  it  upholds  and 
protects.  If  all  the  truth  lies  even  in  the  interior  soul, 
yet  may  we  say  with  Addison  :  — 

"  How  are  thy  servants  blest,  0  Lord  ! 

How  sure  is  their  defence  ! 

Eternal  wisdom  is  their  guide  ; 

Their  help,  Omnipotence." 

Upon  Him  cast  all  your  care,  says  Saint  Peter. 

There  is  an  energetic  action  about  that  word  "  cast." 
It  means  something  of  violence.  If  we  believe  in 
God,  we  are  to  put  certain  things  into  His  hands,  or 


CARE   CAST  UPON  GOD.  325 

upon  Him;  to  throw  them  off  our  perplexed  and 
wearied  minds  and  upon  His  great  broad,  unwearying, 
infinite  thought,  wisdom,  love,  and  power. 

And,  what  is  important  for  us  to  remember,  the  ad- 
vice is  not  the  tame  and  quiet  exhortation  coaxing  us  to 
trust  as  much  as  we  can  in  God's  hands,  and  worry 
ourselves  at  the  same  time,  nor  even  that  we  try  more 
and  more  to  trust  God,  but  it  is  the  word  of  command 
and  of  action. 

You  stand  upon  God's  earth.  Plant  your  foot  firmly 
on  that  earth.  Brace  yourself,  if  needs  be.  Then  lift 
up  and  cast,  thrust  the  whole  of  your  care,  all  your 
trouble  and  your  life  into  God's  lap  and  leave  it  there. 

I  say  your  life,  for  "  all  the  care  "  is  equivalent  to  life. 
When  we  cease  from  care,  we  shall  cease  to  be.  That 
means  that  we  cast  ourselves  first  into  God's  hands. 
We  have  to  commit  others  to  those  hands.  We  have 
had  to  leave  our  best  beloved  ones  with  Him,  and  all 
their  interests.  We  know  these  are  safe.  So  may  we 
and  must  we  entrust  ourselves  to  Him.  You  are  a 
mystery  to  yourself,  and  see  only  trouble  and  perplexity 
ahead  of  you.  You  compare  yourself  to  a  passenger  on 
a  ship  at  sea,  amid  fogs,  —  taking  your  risk,  —  helpless, 
and  calm  because  helpless.  Your  calmness  is  stupidity 
or  desperation.  Try  what  Saint  Peter  commands  and 
commends.  Cast  your  care,  yourself,  upon  God.  Grasp 
the  hand  that  would  help  you  to  this  uplifting,  even 
the  hand  of  Christ,  and  throwing  yourself  and  all 
things  upon  His  love,  trusting  that,  be  at  peace,  go  your 
ways  in  peace,  do  your  work  in  peace.  If  you  succeed 
in  your  plans,  it  is  well.  If  you  do  not  succeed  in 
them,  it  is  well  also.  Your  care  is  cast  upon  God. 
In  that  venture  of  faith  you  have  left  questions  of 
success  and  failure,  after  our  common  ways  of  thinking, 


326  CARE  CAST  UPON  GOD. 

in  God's  hands.  You  have  cast  yourself  upon  Him. 
If  He  breaks  your  plans  and  sweeps  away  your  pro- 
jects, He  still  bears  you  upon  His  almighty  wing ;  and 
you  are  in  the  arms,  and  the  hand,  of  His  care  and 
love. 

Let  me  close  with  these  trustful  lines  of  Whittier : 

"  I  know  not  what  the  future  hath 

Of  marvel  or  surprise, 
Assured  alone  that  life  and  death 
His  mercy  underlies. 


"  And  so  beside  the  silent  sea 

I  wait  the  muffled  oar ; 
No  harm  from  Him  can  come  to  me 
On  ocean  or  on  shore. 

"I  know  not  where  His  islands  lift 

Their  fronded  palms  in  air  ; 
I  only  know  I  cannot  drift 
Beyond  His  love  and  care. " 


THE  NEW  HEAVEN  AND  THE  NEW  EAETH. 

And  I  saw  a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth,  .  .  .  And  He 
that  sat  upon  the  throne  said,  Behold,  I  make  all  things 
new.  —  REVELATION  xxi.  1,  5. 

TN  these  words  our  thoughts  are  first  carried  to  the 
-^  sublime  vision  itself  from  the  record  of  which  they 
are  taken.  The  vision  of  the  Judgment,  wherein  the 
dead,  small  and  great,  stand  before  God,  and  the  sea 
and  death  and  Hades  give  up  the  dead  which  have  been 
in  them,  that  they  may  be  judged  out  of  the  books,  ac- 
cording to  their  works,  has  passed,  and  the  resplendent 
vision  of  the  New  Jerusalem  appears.  The  Gity  of  God 
descends  from  God  out  of  heaven,  prepared  as  a  bride 
adorned  for  her  husband.  The  tabernacle  of  God  is 
with  men,  and  God  doth  wipe  away  the  tears  from  all 
eyes,  and  there  is  no  more  death,  neither  sorrow  nor 
crying,  neither  shall  there  be  any  more  pain.  The 
former  things  are  passed  away.  And  then  the  voice 
of  the  One  sitting  upon  the  throne  is  heard,  "  Behold, 
I  make  all  things  new  !  " 

If  we  study  the  whole  picture,  and  note  carefully  the 
language,  we  see  that  there  is  not  a  process  of  new  cre- 
ation going  on,  a  creation  of  material,  nor  even  a  putting 
chaotic  matter  into  order  and  beauty,  but  that  it  is 
rather  the  renovation  and  reconstruction  of  the  old 
material.  Both  in  the  material  things  and  the  spiritual 
things  of  the  Apocalyptic  imagery  this  seems  to  be  the 
case.  The  heavens  and  the  earth  are  new  ;  yet  heavens 


328  THE  NEW  HEAVEN  AND  THE  NEW  EARTH. 

and  earth  for  substance.  The  City  of  God  is  new ;  yet 
it  is  the  New  Jerusalem.  And  they  who  sing  before 
the  throne  sing  a  new  song,  or  as  it  were  a  new  song ; 
one  in  some  senses  old  and  familiar,  to  which  their 
lips  were  attuned  through  many  processes  of  sancti- 
fying discipline,  yet  ever  new  and  fresh  in  its  grander 
meanings  and  its  celestial  harmonies. 

The  key-note  of  the  revelation  here  made  is  renova- 
tion. The  Apocalypse  —  whatever  the  true  or  rather 
the  indiscoverable  theory  for  its  interpretation,  whether 
it  be  a  prophetic  vision  of  the  earlier  struggles  of  the 
Church,  closing  with  the  great  era  of  the  imperial  perse- 
cution and  the  final  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  or  a  reve- 
lation of  the  course  of  conflict,  or  the  general  features 
thereof,  through  which  the  Church  of  God  is  to  be  led  to 
its  final  glory  —  certainly  seems  to  throw  a  light  upon 
the  whole  course  and  trend  of  Providence  and  history. 
And  these  words,  "  I  make  all  things  new,"  may  be 
taken  as  a  summary  of  the  hopeful  suggestions  of  the 
book  respecting  the  course  of  history  and  of  human  ex- 
perience, amid  all  vicissitudes  and  upheavals,  revolu- 
tions and  catastrophes.  There  is  something  great  and 
good  being  evolved  as  age  follows  age,  as  destruction 
and  revivification  seem  to  alternate.  There  is  One  who 
says,  "  Behold,  I  make  all  things  new ! "  And  the  end  is 
this  whereunto  the  vision  of  Saint  John  reaches,  —  the 
consummation  of  blessedness  in  the  universe  of  God,  and 
in  the  full  revelation  of  God  in  the  glorification  of  His 
Son  Jesus  Christ,  and  perfect  redemption,  the  restitu- 
tion of  all  things,  the  gathering  together  of  all  things 
in  Him. 

Saint  John's  keen  vision  and  Saint  Paul's  inspired  ut- 
terances point  to  the  same  grand  end, — the  new  crea- 
tion and  the  manifestation  of  the  Son  of  God,  —  toward 


THE  NEW  HEAVEN  AND  THE  NEW  EARTH.  329 

which  all  the  weary  ways  of  human  life,  and  all 
the  groanings  of  the  old  creation  are  tending,  and  in 
which  shall  be  at  once  their  justification  and  their 
recompense. 

The  recognition  of  this  ultimate  purpose  of  God  and 
of  the  process  wherein  it  is  described,  the  grand  reno- 
vation of  all  things  through  the  ages,  discovers  to  us  a 
principle  of  unity  whereby  the  solution  of  some  of  our 
gravest  problems  in  theology,  and  the  philosophy  of 
events,  may  be  greatly  aided. 

I  will  endeavor  to  indicate  in  one  or  two  illustrations 
how  we  may  gather  the  assistance  and  comfort  thus 
afforded. 

1.  Let  us  begin  with  our  own  problem:  ourselves, 
man  ;  and  the  question,  what  is  man's  worth  and  man's 
destiny  ?  What  significance  has  the  making  all  things 
new  for  him  ?  Is  man,  are  we,  among  the  things  made 
new  ?  A  foremost  truth  of  Scripture  is  at  once  brought 
to  mind  when  we  attempt  this  problem  ;  namely,  the 
regeneration  of  man  himself.  And  it  is  a  note-worthy 
fact  that  Saint  John,  the  writer  of  the  Apocalypse,  in 
his  later  work,  the  fourth  Gospel,  gives  supreme  promi- 
nence to  this  point.  The  Gospel  opens  with  the  Word 
becoming  flesh,  and  with  power  being  given  to  men  to 
become  sons  of  God,  "  not  of  blood,  nor  of  the  will  of 
the  flesh,  nor  of  the  will  of  man,  but  of  God ;  "  and  the 
great  truth  receives  emphasis  again  in  the  narrative  of 
the  interview  between  Nicodemus  and  the  Lord.  Read- 
ing various  scriptures,  and  putting  together  what  is 
said  in  the  Gospels,  and  by  Saint  John  and  Saint  Paul 
in  their  Epistles,  we  gather  that  although  the  process  of 
renovation  began  indeed  close  upon  the  Fall,  with  the 
first  promise  of  grace,  and  the  provisions  of  religion,  the 
disclosure  of  the  first  and  fundamental  step  is  not  made 


330  THE  NEW  HEAVEN  AND  THE  NEW  EARTH. 

until  Christ,  the  Messiah,  the  Son  of  God,  appears  in 
our  human  nature.  Christ  appears  in  the  "  fulness  of 
time,"  —  that  is,  when  the  world  and  humanity  and 
God's  purposes  are  ready  for  the  appearing. 

In  this  incarnation,  we  are  taught,  is  the  revelation 
of  the  long  withholdeu  mystery,  —  that  is, "  The  mystery 
of  godliness,"  "  God,"  or  "He  who  was  manifested  in  the 
flesh."  Christ  is  represented  as  the  New  Man.  He  is 
figured  to  us  under  the  title  of  the  second  Man,  the 
second  Adam.  The  idea  presented  is  that  of  race  head- 
ship. The  first  Adam  stands  in  our  theological  systems, 
gathered  from  scriptural  expression,  head  of  the  race 
which  sprang  from  his  loins  by  natural  descent.  In 
him  they,  his  children,  fell.  In  him  they  all  die.  The 
solidarity  of  the  race  in  Adam  is  strongly  figured,  nay, 
more  than  figured ;  and  race  ruin  is  the  logical  conse- 
quence, and  the  consequence  de  facto 

The  re-creation,  or  the  regeneration  of  the  race, 
comes  by  its  transference  to  a  new  head.  That  new 
head  is  the  second  Adam,  the  Christ.  He  is  the  first 
born  of  the  new  creation.  The  manhood  He  assumed 
and  wore,  and  joined  to  His  divine  nature,  is  the  man- 
hood born  of  the  Virgin,  and  springs  from  divine  over- 
shadowing. Scripture  is  consistent.  There  is  wonderful 
harmony  and  exactitude  in  its  revelations  of  supernat- 
ural and  divine  facts  and  doings.  This  God-Man  is 
head  of  a  new  race  gathered  out  of  the  old  race,  —  a  re- 
constructed and  regenerated  race.  The  manhood  which 
is  joined  unto  and  finds  its  head  in  the  second  Adam, 
the  Lord  from  heaven,  is  delivered  from  power  of 
death  and  made  heir  of  the  resurrection.  As  all  in 
Adam  die,  so  all  in  Christ  live.  The  regenerate  man- 
hood, and  that  is  the  aggregate  of  the  regenerate  men  ; 
those  who  by  faith  and  covenant  are  gathered  into 


THE  NEW  HEAVEN  AND  THE  NEW  EARTH.  331 

Christ  and  belong  to  the  race  of  the  second  Adam,  — 
these  are  conformed,  by  His  Spirit  dwelling  in  them,  to 
His  spiritual  character  and  similitude  in  their  personal 
character,  and  will  be  conformed  to  Him,  spiritually 
and  bodily,  in  the  unspeakable  beauty  and  purity  of 
His  glorious  Person.  It  is  a  wonderful  picture  of 
hope  which  faith  discerns  when  she  studies  the  por- 
trayal: "Christ,  the  hope  of  glory."  What  is  our 
hope  in  this  vision  of  the  New  Man  who  stands  cen- 
tral in  creation,  and  whose  renovation  is  a  part  of 
that  work  which  He  who  maketh  all  things  new  is 
doing  ? 

The  first  man  Adam  was  lord  of  Paradise.  Even  the 
fallen  Adam  is  a  wonderful  being,  a  splendid  race  for 
endowment  and  power.  His  deeds  of  might  and  deeds 
of  good,  looked  at  in  our  earthly  way,  are  well  worthy 
a  child  of  the  skies.  His  deeds  of  evil,  his  crimes,  are 
a  stupendous  revelation  of  the  power  resident  within 
him.  And  yet  again,  how  close  are  his  limitations! 
"  Thus  far  and  no  farther,"  is  the  law  upon  him.  There 
are  bounds  which  he  cannot  pass.  He  is  subject  to  con- 
ditions, to  toil,  to  suffering,  to  deterioration,  decay,  and 
death.  He  cannot  escape  therefrom.  No  elixir  of  life 
is  within  his  compass.  He  cannot  stave  off  conse- 
quences of  sin.  No  one  of  them  can  by  any  means 
redeem  his  brother.  He  is  godlike,  yet  not  a  god.  He 
can  accomplish  many  things.  He  can  weigh  the  stars 
and  map  out  their  motions.  He  can  master  potent 
forces  of  Nature.  But  he  cannot  create  a  ray  of 
light  or  a  blade  of  grass,  nor  breathe  life  into  any 
nostrils,  whether  to  vivify  a  statue  or  to  revive  a  dead 
fish.  The  very  earth  brings  forth  thorns  and  thistles 
to  him.  He  can  eat  bread  only  in  the  sweat  of  his 
brow.  At  the  most,  he  can  but  temporarily  avert  or 


332  THE  NEW  HEAVEN  AND  THE  NEW  EARTH. 

briefly  hide  from  any  impending  evil  or  calamity.  And 
great  as  he  is,  death  masters  him.  Death  has  reigned 
over  him.  A  whole  creation  indeed  is  handicapped  by 
its  relation  to  him,  and  groans  in  sympathy  with  his 
estate. 

What  hope  is  there  for  this  creature  which  is  not 
against  hope  ?  What  chance  for  him,  except  there  be 
some  unrevealed  law  or  power  within  him  at  last  to 
burst  his  bonds  and  transcend  all  his  known  limits  ? 
Perhaps  —  Let  us  not,  however,  cast  aspersion  upon 
any  human  outlook. 

But  the  New  Man, —  type  as  well  as  head  of  the  new 
race,  head  of  a  race  in  which  the  finite  and  the  infi- 
nite meet  and  blend,  —  how  He  doth  interpret  for  us 
what  it  is  to  be  sons  of  God !  The  New  Man  is  mas- 
ter of  all  the  earth.  He  is  master  of  human  woes  and 
of  human  circumstances,  and  master  of  death.  There 
seems  to  be  no  word  "impossible"  with  Him.  The 
matter  world  and  the  spirit  world  are  subject  to  Him. 
The  seas  subside  at  His  bidding ;  He  can  walk  upon 
their  crested  waves  as  upon  a  smooth  floor ;  the  fig-tree 
withers  to  point  His  spiritual  teaching ;  bread  mul- 
tiplies in  His  hand  to  feed  the  thousands  when  He  must 
needs  feed  them ;  disease  flies  at  His  word, —  fever,  palsy, 
leprosy,  blindness,  lameness;  devils  are  cast  out  by 
Him ;  the  mad-men  clothe  themselves,  and  are  of  right 
mind  when  He  speaks  to  them ;  death  and  Hades  sur- 
render their  victims  at  His  command.  What  a  won- 
derful sight  was  that  when  the  New  Man  touched  the 
bier  at  the  gates  of  Nain  and  the  young  man  rose  from 
his  death  sleep  ;  or  yet  more,  when,  calm  and  assured, 
he  went  out  to  Bethany  and  to  the  grave  of  Lazarus, 
and  bade  the  four-days  dead  come  forth,  and  he  came 
forth,  bound  hand  and  foot  as  the  corpses  were  bound 


THE  NEW  HEAVEN  AND  THE  NEW  EARTH.  333 

for  entombment !  Mark  it !  He  who  summoned  Laz- 
arus from  the  grave  was  the  Son  of  Man.  Then  again, 
the  New  Man  Himself  is  superior  to  death.  He  dies 
indeed,  not  because  He  must  die,  but  He  lays  down  His 
life  for  a  purpose.  And  then  He  asserts  Himself,  the 
dead  and  buried  New  Man  alive  again  and  alive  for- 
evermore.  He  is  now  man ;  master  of  old  laws  and 
of  new  laws ;  master  of  new  forces,  and  interpreter  of 
laws  until  His  revelation  all  unknown. 

Scripture,  we  have  said,  is  consistent.  The  whole 
story  of  the  New  Man,  the  Son  of  God  and  Son  of  Man, 
is  a  story  which  befits  such  a  Being,  and  is  essential  to 
the  conception  of  such  a  Being. 

What  more  have  we  for  light  upon  our  human  prob- 
lem ?  The  New  Man  revelation  culminates  in  the  As- 
cension. From  the  summit  of  Olivet  He  has  passed 
into  the  heavens.  It  is  made  known  that  He  will 
appear  again,  and  that  He  will  be  the  Supreme  Power 
upon  earth, — the  reigning  king,  all  things  subject  to  Hirn. 
The  visions  of  the  Apocalypse  portray  the  glory  of  His 
reign.  Do  we  inquire  what  this  means  for  man  ;  for 
the  race  whereof  He  is  head  and  Prince  ?  Saint  John, 
whose  eye  discerned  the  future  in  those  visions,  says, 
"  When  He  shall  appear,  we  shall  be  like  Him,  for  we 
shall  see  Him  even  as  He  is."  "  Ye  also  shall  sit  upon 
thrones,"  said  this  Son  of  Man  Himself,  to  His  elect  rep- 
resentatives of  His  chosen  race  and  body,  when  He  spoke 
of  the  full  regeneration,  the  palingenesis  of  the  future. 
The  new  race  is  a  brotherhood  ;  the  Son  of  Man  is  the 
elder  brother.  The  brotherhood,  the  race  redeemed,  the 
faithful  of  Christ, —  they,  by  the  vision  of  the  Apocalypse, 
shall  dwell  in  the  city  ;  they  shall  there  serve  God 
and  see  His  face,  and  His  name  shall  be  upon  their 
foreheads. 


334  THE  NEW  HEAVEN  AND  THE  NEW  EARTH. 

Such  is  the  outlook  for  man  through  Christ.  By 
faith  in  Him  men  become  members  of  His  body,  being 
baptized  into  Him.  He  is  the  head  of  the  new  race, 
the  head  of  the  body.  To  the  renovated  manhood  is 
given  power  to  be  sons  of  God,  —  a  dignity  which  sur- 
passes our  present  scope  of  definition  or  thought.  God 
is  making  all  things  new,  and,  central  amid  the  all  things, 
a  new  people,  a  new  creation  of  man  to  serve  and  praise 
Him. 

2.  The  renovation  work  again,  it  appears,  is  not  con- 
fined to  the  race  of  man.  It  is  carried  on  in  man's 
surroundings  and  conditions,  so  that  the  re-established 
Man  shall  find  abundant  re-endowment,  and  all  circum- 
stances fitting  to  the  glory  of  the  regenerated  race.  As 
the  earth  has  been  carried  through  successive  renova- 
tions in  ages  past,  to  the  end  that  man  should  find  his 
place  and  work  in  it,  and  as  the  shapings  of  events  in 
history, —  all  revolutions  and  upheavals  and  successions 
of  empire,  and  all  advance  in  dominant  thoughts  and 
age  ideas,  —  have  been  manifestly  directed  for  human  ad- 
vancement and  growth,  so  the  Apocalypse  gives  us  the 
fuller  knowledge  that  the  like  process  goes  on  definitely 
toward  the  beatific  consummation  discerned  in  the 
vision.  The  motion  of  the  universe  is  toward  the 
new  heaven  and  the  new  earth.  There  is  a  shaping 
power.  That  power  is  His  who  sits  upon  the  throne. 
His  throne  is  that  whence  emanates  decrees  and  all 
laws  and  all  changes  and  all  supreme  judgment.  From 
that  throne  comes  the  explanatory  voice,  the  voice  in- 
terpreting Providence  and  history,  "  I  am  making  all 
things  new."  The  processes  of  Nature  and  of  history 
may  be  very  intricate,  but  here  is  the  clew  to  the  most 
labyrinthian  problems  they  present.  There  is  supreme 
purpose.  There  is  a  throne  and  power  in  it.  There  is 


THE  NEW  HEAVEN  AND  THE  NEW  EARTH.  335 

uniform  and  resistless  exercise  of  purposeful  power,  — 
the  renovations,  —  until  the  time  of  the  perfect  restitu- 
tion of  all  things,  when  under  the  new  heavens  and 
upon  the  new  earth  there  shall  stand  the  city  whereof 
it  is  written,  "  the  glory  of  God  did  lighten  it  and  the 
Lamb  is  the  Light  thereof." 

In  the  recognition  of  this  purpose  of  a  consummation 
in  the  first  revelation  of  God  in  His  Son,  and  the  per- 
fect estate  through  the  redemption  that  is  in  Christ 
Jesus,  is,  as  has  been  already  said  in  part,  the  key  to 
the  solution  of  history.  The  consummation  is  full 
enough  and  grand  enough  to  be  the  issue  and  result,  and 
thus  the  explanation  of  all  that  has  gone  before  it,  — 
the  growth  and  construction  of  the  earth,  the  sufferings 
and  conflicts,  the  revolutions  and  renewals  of  nations 
and  individual  men.  The  processes  of  this  world  are 
seen  to  terminate  in  that  which  is  immortal,  spiritual, 
and  eternal.  May  we  not  rest  in  this  great  fact  ?  Or 
shall  we  turn  to  the  alternative,  —  the  most  relentless 
pessimism  or  agnostic  fatalism  ? 

To  the  eye  of  Christian  faith,  then,  the  whole  march 
of  Providence  and  history  is  a  transformation  work.  A 
new  heavens  and  new  earth  are  being  evolved  before 
the  keen  eye  of  our  spiritual  discernment  In  our  daily 
world  the  ideas  which  the  New  Man  by  His  Incarna- 
tion put  into  the  world  are  the  transforming  and  reno- 
vating forces.  These  forces  have  made  the  present  age 
what  it  is,  in  contrast  with  remote  past  ages.  It  is  the 
potency  of  the  New  Man  in  human  life  which  makes 
our  city,  our  home,  and  our  life  in  the  world,  better, 
purer,  safer  than  the  life  of  old  Pompeii  or  Pagan 
Eome  or  Corinth  or  the  older  Babylon.  The  wars  and 
overtnrnings  of  empires,  amid  seas  of  fire  and  blood, 
which  have  brought  the  nineteenth  century  to  us  are 


336     THE  NEW   HEAVEN   AND  THE   NEW   EARTH. 

but  successive  steps  in  the  "making  all  things  new." 
Behold,  He  who  says  from  the  throne  that  He  is  doing 
it,  is  verily  the  world  s  Saviour  in  the  most  worldly  and 
material  sense,  as  well  as  in  the  higher  and  spiritual  sig- 
nificance 1  He  has  made  earth  habitable  for  us.  What 
would  this  world  be  to-day  for  you  or  me  were  all  the 
Gesta  Christi  eliminated  from  the  scene  of  our  sur- 
roundings and  possessions,  and  had  we  nothing  left 
which  has  come  from  Christ  and  His  Gospel  ?  When 
the  prophecy  is  fulfilled,  the  new  heavens  and  the  new 
earth  will  be  an  abode  fitted  for  the  race  which  is  to 
dwell  and  reign  thereon. 

The  separation  from  sin  and  woe  shall  be  complete 
and  permanent.  Death  and  Hades  shall  have  been 
cast  into  the  lake  of  fire.  And  there  shall  be  ex- 
cluded forever  all  that  is  evil  and  pollution,  and 
whatsoever  loveth  and  maketh  a  lie. 

Oh,  brethren,  fellow-members  of  the  race  of  Adam, 
what  august  mysteries  and  capacities  of  our  being  re- 
main before  us  to  be  tested !  Amid  what  limitless 
possibilities  of  life  that  is  eternal  shall  we  be  versed 
some  day !  Out  of  the  old  God  is  creating  the  new. 
Are  we  being  made  over  again  into  the  likeness  of  His 
Son  ?  The  spiritual  renewal  and  transformation  of  the 
individual  man  is  the  first  step  in  the  process  of  hope 
and  life  for  that  man.  The  new  birth  by  God's  grace, 
and  the  sanctification  into  the  likeness  of  Christ,  are 
not  mere  dogmas  of  the  Church  or  of  theology.  The 
whole  hope  of  man  by  the  Scripture  is  made  to  rest 
upon  this  renewal.  The  voices  of  Nature  and  of  his- 
tory echo  to  the  words  of  the  divine  Lord,  "  Ye  must 
be  born  again  ! " 

He  that  maketh  all  things  new  must  make  us  all 
anew,  that  we  may  inherit  with  the  new-born  race,  and 


THE  NEW  HEAVEN  AND  THE  NEW  EARTH.  337 

the  First  Born  —  the  God-Man  —  the  highest  blessedness 
of  being. 

God  grant  that  so  we  be  made  His  children  by 
adoption  and  grace,  and  daily  be  renewed  by  His  Holy 
Spirit  that  we  may,  in  the  latter  day,  rise  to  the  life 
Immortal ! 


THE   HOLY  COMMUNION. 

He  gave  it  to  His  Disciples.  —  MATT.  xxvi.  26. 

r  I  ^HERE  is  a  familiar  poetic,  if  not  entirely  philo- 
J-  sophical,  deduction  from  a  known  law  of  sound, 
to  the  effect  that  the  atmosphere  of  earth,  or  the  yet 
vaster  medium  of  surrounding  ether,  retains  in  form  and 
living  motion  every  sound  and  note  that  has  ever  been 
projected  from  human  lips  or  from  any  other  source. 
So  that  —  fearful  thought,  in  some  aspects  of  it  — 
words  never  die.  They,  once  spoken,  may  strike  ears 
for  which  they  were  never  meant.  They  may  ever 
live  and  move,  though  we  cannot  trace  their  flight, 
winged  benedictions,  or  winged  evils,  of  measureless 
influences  for  good  or  for  ill. 

Another  familiar  and  impressive  fancy,  based  upon 
the  laws  of  light  and  its  velocity,  startling  when  first 
conceived,  yet  altogether  within  the  bounds  of  reason,  is 
that  when  we  look  at  certain  heavenly  bodies  through 
the  telescope,  so  great  is  the  magnitude  of  distance,  we 
see  not  the  rays  which  to-day  are  flashing  from  them, 
but  those  which  leaped  forth  from  the  mighty  fires 
thousands,  nay,  tens  of  thousands  of  years  ago.  And 
so  could  an  observer  upon  some  planet  much  less  dis- 
tant than  some  of  those  be  endowed  with  vision  keen 
enough  for  analysis  of  objects,  he  might  to-day  dis- 
cern, as  a  present  scene,  almost  any  of  the  noted  events 
of  the  past,  —  the  day  of  the  crucifixion,  for  example, 
or,  farther  back,  the  floods  of  Noah's  time,  or  yet 


THE   HOLY  COMMUNION.  339 

again  the  freshness  and  glory  of  the  virgin  earth 
when  morning  stars  sang  together  and  sons  of  God 
shouted  for  joy,  the  new  verdure  and  the  primeval  glow 
of  the  sunlit  paradise  ere  it  had  ceased  to  be  a  home 
for  the  human  kind. 

In  a  sense,  then,  words  are  ever  living  and  fresh, 
through  ages,  from  the  lips  that  spoke  them,  and  things 
done  are  ever  being  done  so  that  time  and  space  almost 
pass  out  of  reckoning,  and  all  things  and  all  words 
dwell  eternally  in  the  perpetual  and  eternal  Now. 
May  we  not  bring  these  conceptions  to  our  aid  and 
think  of  the  words  of  our  divine  Lord  and  Saviour  as 
fresh  words  to-day,  just  falling  from  His  lips,  and 
behold  as  a  present  and  perpetually  present  scene  the 
upper  chamber  of  the  Passover  in  Jerusalem,  and  the 
ordering  of  the  Feast  wherein  He  purposed  to  feed  and 
refresh  His  people  in  all  the  years  thereafter  ? 

It  is  to  the  Christian  faith  a  living  picture,  —  more 
than  a  picture,  an  undying  group,  a  transaction  never 
vanishing  from  the  view.  The  Table  of  the  Lord  and 
His  disciples  is  ever  spread.  The  Master  is  seated  at 
it  still  The  words  giving  His  body  and  His  blood  are 
verily  issuing  from  His  lips  and  fresh  upon  the  air. 
The  bread  broken  and  the  consecrated  chalice  are  being 
in  this  very  movement  still  given  into  the  hands  of  His 
disciples.  Let  the  centuries  melt  from  our  thoughts, 
and  be  as  though  they  were  not.  The  successive  gener- 
ations of  communicants  are  but  successive  ranks  of 
the  congregation  going  up  to  that  sacred  Table  where 
He  presides,  Master  of  Assemblies,  receiving  from  Him 
and  orderly  retiring  that  others  may  follow  them. 

So  to-day,  in  our  turn  on  earth,  we  advance  to  His 
altar.  Priests  and  people,  we  alike  receive  from  His 
own  most  blessed  hand.  Other  generations  shall  fol- 


340  THE  HOLY  COMMUNION. 

low  us.  It  is  one  unbroken  Eucharistic  Feast  wherein 
we  do  eat  the  same  spiritual  bread  and  drink  the  same 
spiritual  cup  until  all  His  sacramental  host  are  nur- 
tured and  gathered  into  Paradise,  or  the  hour  doth 
come  for  His  glory.  In  this  grand  Eucharist,  which 
is  every  day  and  every  hour  somewhere  upon  the  earth 
celebrated  by  faithful  souls,  there  is  perpetual  presence 
of  the  Lord  with  His  believing  Church,  —  not  a  cor- 
poreal presence  in  the  bread  and  wine,  nor  a  transub- 
stantiated presence,  nor  aught  merely  metaphysical  or 
theoretical,  but  a  presence  warm  and  living  as  He  gives 
still  to  His  disciples. 

1.  He  gave  it  to  them. 

Let  our  first  thought,  after  this  conception  of  His 
presence,  spring  from  our  emphasis  upon  the  first 
word,  "  He." 

The  lofty  estimate  which  the  Church  of  Christ 
places  upon  the  sacraments  is  the  result  of  the  esteem 
wherein  the  Master  Himself  is  held.  Instituted  by 
Him  personally,  and  not  mediately  through  apostles 
as  were  some  other  institutions,  faith  in  His  divinity 
places  them  above  all  other  ordinances  whatsoever. 
One  of  these  pertains  to  the  production  of  spiritual 
life.  The  other  pertains  to  its  preservation.  We  call 
them,  in  their  grand  pre-eminence,  "  Sacraments,"  and 
by  this  title  distinguish  them  from  all  other  ordinances 
however  primitive,  binding,  or  beautiful. 

Then  farther,  believing  that  which  the  Master  taught 
concerning  the  inflowing  of  spiritual  life  from  Him 
into  His  members,  even  as  sap  flows  from  the  vine- 
trunk  into  the  branches,  and  regarding  these  Sacra- 
ments as  channels  through  which  specific  streams  of 
this  life  flow  down,  albeit  not  all  the  streams,  —  receiv- 
ing them  as  conduits  from  Him,  the  Church  regards 


THE   HOLY  COMMUNION.  341 

them  not  as  mere  tokens  or  signs  of  grace  which  is 
given  independently  of  them  as  much  as  within  them. 
So  she  differs,  and  always  has  differed,  in  all  her  con- 
fessions, and  in  all  her  personal  faith,  from  those  who 
regard  them  as  mere  medals  or  badges ;  from  those  to 
whom  they  are  simple  formalities ;  from  those  to  whom 
they  are  transactions  in  which  man  gives  to  God  rather 
than  receives  from  God ;  from  those  who  esteem  them 
valuable  only  as  certain  thoughts  are  always  suggested 
by  them ;  and  most  of  all  from  those  who,  whether 
papist  or  rationalist,  modify  them  at  pleasure  or  set 
them  among  the  worn-out  things  which  were  supposed 
to  be  helpful  in  the  primitive  days  of  the  Christian 
Faith.  Because  He  ordained  them  Himself,  —  because 
from  His  lips  issued  the  commandment  to  baptize,  and 
again  to  bless  and  break  and  eat  the  sacramental  bread, 
—  these  two  Christian  rites  stand  forever  pre-eminent 
above  all  possible  ordinances  or  rites  which,  however 
appropriate,  faith  or  love  might  ever  erect.  They  can- 
not be  set  aside.  They  may  not  be  neglected.  They 
must  not  be  tampered  with.  They  must  remain  as  He 
gave  them,  and  be  preserved  and  perpetuated  according 
to  His  words. 

2.  Let  us  emphasize  the  second  word,  "  He  gave." 
A  sacrament  is  something  wherein  the  Lord  gives, 
not  a  something  in  which  He  receives.  Yet,  in  the 
fickle  perverseness  of  human  thought,  there  is  a  preval- 
ent notion,  let  us  hope  it  is  not  widespread  in  the 
Church,  that  man  must  give.  And  connected  with  this 
idea  is  a  fear  of  sacraments  and  a  great  neglect  of 
them,  on  the  part  of  those  who  know  not  what  to  give 
when  they  come  before  God,  or  who  are  conscious  (as 
who  must  not  be)  that  they  can  bring  no  fitness  to  Him 
wherein  they  may  be  baptized,  nor  any  proper  degree 


342  THE   HOLY  COMMUNION. 

of  penitential  emotion  when  they  must  offer  up  a 
"  feeling  "  suitable  to  the  intellectual  process  of  recall- 
ing the  circumstances  of  the  Saviour's  death,  or  the 
theological  doctrines  which  they  are  taught  to  arrange 
in  clusters  around  the  cross  of  a  Redeemer.  Nay, 
brethren,  we  may  indeed  give  ourselves  up  anew  to 
God's  service  in  the  devotional  acts  accompanying 
every  sacramental  service,  and  we  ought  to  do  this 
sincerely  and  earnestly  ;  but,  except  in  that  sense,  we 
have  nothing  to  give,  we  are  simply  recipients.  He 
gives,  the  gracious  giver.  He  gives  the  grace  in  bap- 
tism. We  offer  not  perfection  of  renewed  hearts  to 
Him  for  His  acceptance  in  that  service.  We  cast  no 
new  honors  at  His  feet  when  we,  in  the  loftiness  of 
manhood,  come  to  His  font  for  the  washing  of  regen- 
eration. We  are  not  bidden  wait  with  coming  to  those 
waters  until  we  have  achieved  victory  over  sin,  or  until 
we  can  exhibit  a  heroic  repentance,  or  something  that 
shall  entitle  us  to  His  regard.  We  come,  as  we  bring 
the  new-born  babe,  empty  of  all  pretension,  and  empty 
of  all  goodness,  and  empty  of  all  spiritual  power.  We 
come  desirous  of  blessing  from  Him,  and  in  receptive 
mood  because  desirous.  We  come  seeking,  and  to  take, 
as  He  will  give  it,  that  grace  which  seals  acceptance 
with  Him,  and  which  is  the  first  instalment  of  spirit- 
ual mercies  unnumbered,  of  spiritual  life,  of  imparted 
strength  and  spiritual  victory.  And,  in  like  manner, 
in  the  Holy  Communion  Christ  gives  and  we  receive. 
This  is  the  attitude  of  a  true  faith  in  Him.  "  Nothing 
in  my  hand  I  bring"  may  be  sung  before  that  Holy 
Table  as  nowhere  else. 

So  let  no  one  who  would  have  Christ's  blessing  stay 
away  from  the  Eucharistic  Feast  by  reason  of  the 
sense  of  want,  of  emptiness,  of  unworthy  heart  and  feel- 


THE   HOLY   COMMUNION.  343 

ing  and  service.  For  here  is  the  empty  filled  and  the 
feeble  is  holpen. 

3.  But  what  is  given  in  this  sacrament  ?  Let  us  em- 
phasize again,  He  gave  it.  He  took  bread  and  blessed 
it  and  brake  it,  and  gave  it.  And  He  took  the  cup  and 
gave  thanks,  and  gave  it.  And  as  He  gave  the  bread, 
He  said,  "  This  is  my  body."  And  as  He  gave  the  cup, 
He  said,  "  This  is  my  blood  of  the  New  Testament 
which  is  shed  for  many  for  the  remission  of  sins." 

His  natural  body  was  before  their  eyes,  and  with  His 
own  hand  of  flesh  He  gave  that  bread.  His  natural 
blood  coursed  through  those  veins,  and  yet  He  said, 
"  This  is  my  body,  and  this  is  my  blood."  Nor  did  He 
say,  This  bread  when  you  eat  it  represents  merely  this 
body  of  mine ;  nor  did  He  say,  It  shall  suggest  this 
body  of  mine.  The  holy  words  of  the  Institution 
affirm,  "  This  is  my  body  and  blood."  And  yet  the 
fleshly  body  and  blood  were  clearly  not  that  bread  and 
wine,  clearly  not  that  body  and  blood  which  the  disci- 
ples then  and  there  ate  and  drank. 

But  previous  to  this  most  holy  occasion  our  blessed 
Lord  had  taught  His  disciples  that  there  was  to  be 
special  communication  of  spiritual  life  from  Himself  to 
His  people,  through  a  process  which  He  was  pleased  to 
call,  "  eating  the  flesh  of  the  Son  of  Man  and  drinking 
His  blood."  At  the  time,  they  who  heard  did  not  un- 
derstand Him.  In  these  wondrous  words  of  the  Holy 
Table,  however,  the  mysterious  language  was  not  di- 
vested of  mystery,  but  sufficiently  interpreted.  He 
gave  them  the  bread  and  bade  them  eat,  saying,  "  This 
is  my  body."  and  the  consecrated  wine,  saying,  "  This 
is  my  blood."  In  this  sacramental  act  they  were  to 
receive  that  spiritual  nourishment  which  our  Saviour 
expressed  in  the  terms,  eating  His  flesh  and  drinking 


344  THE   HOLY  COMMUNION. 

His  blood,  —  that  which  He  meant  when  He  said,  "  My 
flesh  is  meat  indeed,  and  my  blood  is  drink  indeed ;  " 
"  He  that  eateth  Me  even  he  shall  live  by  Me." 

He  gave  it  then  to  His  disciples,  and  He  is  giving 
this  in  all  the  ages  to  them,  individually,  as  they  come, 
in  successive  generations  in  their  day  upon  earth,  and 
kneel  around  His  Holy  Table,  —  the  altar  whereof  they 
have  the  right  to  eat.  The  great  sacramental  grace,  or 
blessing,  the  gift,  the  enrichment,  the  endowment,  the 
help,  the  strength,  the  vitality  of  most  precious  value, — 
whatever  it  be  in  its  nature  or  analysis  we  know  not ; 
that  supreme  blessing  which  He  is  pleased  to  call, "  bread 
from  heaven,"  "  His  own  flesh,"  "  His  own  body  and 
blood,"  and  the  richness  of  which,  and  the  sustenance 
of  which,  the  armies  of  the  saints  have  tested  and  wit- 
nessed, —  this,  obtainable  nowhere  but  in  this  sacrament, 
spiritually  received,  this  blessing,  supreme  and  ineffable, 
He  gave  to  His  disciples,  and  gives  to  them  to-day. 

It  is  a  gift,  permit  me  to  say  again,  which  we  cannot 
analyze  or  dissect.  Nor  can  we  in  our  own  conscious- 
ness separate  it  or  its  immediate  effects  from  those  ex- 
pressions which  are  the  natural  emotions  of  the  devout 
heart ;  but  by  its  results  we  may  recognize  its  value. 
Somehow  there  is  most  intimate  connection  between 
this  sacrament  and  all  ghostly  strength  ;  between  it  and 
elevated  Christian  peace,  stability,  and  comfort ;  between 
it  and  the  growth  of  individual  spiritual  life  ;  between 
its  faithful  observance  and  the  continuance,  the  growth, 
the  spirituality  and  power  of  the  whole  company  of  all 
faithful  people.  Corruptions  of  this  sacrament  are  his- 
torically associated  with  corruptions  in  the  Church  and 
diminution  of  spiritual  power  through  them.  Detrac- 
tions from  this  sacrament  are  associated  with  deteriora- 
tions in  faith  and  order,  and  in  diminution  of  spiritual 


THE  HOLY  COMMUNION.  345 

power  on  another  side.  The  reverent  maintenance 
thereof  in  its  integrity  pertains  to  them  in  the  Catholic 
Communion  who  most  strongly  hold  the  apostolic  faith 
and  practice,  and  is  their  highest  means  of  growth  and 
of  grace,  even  as  it  stands  central  and  most  exalted  in 
their  worship. 

As  you  come  to  the  Holy  Table  this  morning,  dis- 
ciples of  the  divine  Master,  remember  that  it  is  He 
who  gives  to  you  the  sacramental  food,  and  the  bless- 
ing of  spiritual  strength  pertaining  to  it.  Let  all  others 
fade  from  the  vision,  and  receive  as  from  that  Master 
alone.  Give  thanks  to  Him  that  as  His  warm  right 
hand  might  be  grasped  by  those  who  lived  when  He 
was  in  the  flesh  upon  earth,  or  the  "  hem  of  His  gar- 
ment," so  through  this  sacrament,  coming  down  through 
the  ages,  there  is  contact  with  Him  for  believing  souls, 
and  "virtue"  goeth  out  from  Him  for  the  healing  of 
their  infirmities.  Closing  the  palm  upon  that  bread, 
you  take  hold  of  what  is  as  the  hand  of  Jesus,  what  He 
gives  as  a  sensible  proof  of  His  presence,  like  the  lov- 
ing hand  extended  in  the  dark  to  caress  and  comfort 
and  assure  the  timid  child  in  its  cradle.  The  voice  of 
this  sacrament  is,  "  Lo,  I  am  with  you  ! "  It  whispers 
that  the  shadows  shall  flee  away  and  the  morning  shall 
break.  Eeceive.  Believe.  Feed  on  Him  present,  in 
your  heart,  "by  faith  with  thanksgiving."  Do  your 
sins  trouble  you  ?  In  His  voice,  telling  of  His  own 
sacrifice,  can  you  doubt  His  forgiveness  ?  Do  clouds 
and  darkness  fill  your  day  so  that  you  are  in  perpetual 
sorrow  and  tribulation?  That  voice  of  Jesus  says, 
"  My  body  and  my  blood  are  given  for  you."  Shall 
not  all  things  be  well  at  the  last  ?  Are  not  all  things 
well  now,  with  this  great  fact  before  your  eyes,  and 


346  THE  HOLY  COMMUNION. 

He  who  gave  Himself,  —  your  King,  the  Almighty 
Ruler? 

He  gave  it.  He  gives  this  sacramental  food  to  His 
disciples.  And  do  you  not  receive  it  ?  Then,  why  ? 
You  refuse,  beloved,  what  Christ  offers  you.  You  re- 
fuse the  sign,  and  do  not  respond  to  it.  You  refuse  in 
this  the  thing  signified,  the  grace  of  the  eternal  life 
which  He  gives  in  the  sign,  —  that  food  which  except 
you  eat  it  and  drink  it,  you  have  no  life  in  you. 

Beloved !  beloved !  it  is  no  small  thing  to  refuse  the 
Holy  Communion  of  the  body  and  the  blood  of  the  Son 
of  God,  the  gift  of  the  infinite  love,  the  means  of  the 
infinite  grace,  offered  most  freely  to  every  sinner  who 
would  repent  him  of  his  sins  and  humbly  receive  it. 


THE  MANY  MANSIONS. 

In  my  Father's  house  are  many  mansions :  if  it  were  not 
so  I  would  have  told  you.  I  go  to  prepare  a  place  for 
you.  —  JOHN  xiv.  2. 

"  T  F  it  were  not  so  I  would  have  told  you."  What 
J-  blessed  words  are  these !  The  hope  of  future  life 
and  conception  of  that  life  is  cheering  to  the  chastened 
mind,  so  that  the  outlook  is  not  cold  and  dark,  but 
home-like,  so  that  the  world  to  come  invites  the  spirit 
rather  than  affrights  or  repels  it.  The  conviction  is  born, 
inborn  with  the  spiritual  regeneration,  that  what  God's 
children  need  and  thirst  for  they  shall  some  day  find, 
and  shall  thirst  no  more ;  that  every  immortal  spirit 
shall  have  enough  and  to  spare  of  joy  in  being  and  of 
service ;  that  conceptions  may  be  framed  which,  although 
to  be  hereafter  corrected  in  detail,  shall  nevertheless  not 
be  disappointed  in  the  fulness  and  sweetness  of  the  re- 
ality. This  hope  and  this  conviction  find  justification  in 
these  words  of  our  divine  and  adorable  Master.  Were 
they  essentially  wrong  or  without  foundation,  He  says, 
"  I  would  have  told  you."  We  may  look  away  from 
this  our  earth  into  the  vast  expanse  of  the  starry  hea- 
vens, and  we  may  be  confident ;  many  abodes  remain, 
and  we  have  grander  intervals  than  those  of  time  and 
sense,  and  vaster  resource  than  all  earthly  habitation  and 
wealth,  although  it  is  not  given  us  here  to  make  inven- 
tory of  the  things  beyond.  Let  us  take  the  words  of 


348  THE   MANY  MANSIONS. 

the  text  first  in  one  of  the  two  familiar  interpretations 
of  them,  and  — 

1.  Understand  our  Lord  as  referring  to  the  grand 
universe  as  the  Father's  house,  and  the  home  every- 
where, and  that  there  are  in  this  vast  edifice  many 
apartments,  resting  places,  abodes,  where  children  and 
guests  may  dwell  in  serene  peace.  This  earth  is  one  of 
the  abodes  or  chambers.  In  the  vast  palace  there  are 
countless  other  chambers.  So  the  Lord  comforts  His 
disciples  in  anticipation  of  the  separation  presently  to 
be  realized.  I  am  going  away  from  you,  and  the  daily 
intercourse  of  eye  and  ear  and  hand  and  mouth  will  be 
suspended ;  but  I  only  pass  into  another  apartment  of 
the  house.  I  shall  be  but  the  other  side  of  the  veil 
which  so  heavily  drapes  the  hall  wherein  we  are  to- 
gether tarrying,  and  I  shall  come  again  to  carry  you 
with  me  to  the  place  more  sumptuous  within. 

From  the  Christian  standpoint  it  is  a  good  thing  to 
live.  Whether  immortality  and  an  unending  conscious 
existence  be  man's  inalienable  right,  and  his  law  of 
being,  or  whether  it  be  that  this  endowment  is  bestowed 
only  in  the  regeneration,  as  man  is  renewed  into  the 
life  and  hope  of  the  second  Adam,  the  Lord  from 
heaven,  may  be  left  to  the  well-learned  controversial- 
ists for  solution ;  but  to  the  disciples  of  Christ  the  pro- 
mise is  sure,  and  his  personal  immortality  and  hope  of 
glory  is  matter  of  revelation.  This  present  estate  may 
be  whatever  he  chooses  to  consider  it.  So  bare  the 
walls,  and  so  meagre  the  furniture  of  his  individual  lot, 
and  so  painful  the  allotments  for  his  discipline,  that  he 
may  call  it  a  prison  cell  with  scarce  more  than  a  rift  in 
the  cold  granite  for  light  and  air,  or  a  school  of  hard 
tutelage  and  bitter  experience.  But  presently  the  door 
will  open,  and  there  will  be  a  going  forth  into  something 


THE   MANY  MANSIONS.  349 

better,  into  another  abode,  —  an  abode  bright  to  our 
vision,  for  God's  word  writes  hope  upon  its  front  in 
hues  of  the  rainbow. 

Yet  let  us  not  call  this  lifetime  a  prison,  though  it 
be  a  school  of  discipline.  In  the  light  of  Christ,  let  it 
rather  be  the  vestibule  wherein  we  await  the  unfold- 
ing of  portals  with  expectancy.  Beyond  is  the  Paradise, 
the  grand  hall  where  the  redeemed  of  all  ages  are  as- 
sembling, not  having  yet  received  the  promise  in  its 
fulness ;  where,  with  the  consciousness  of  that  pres- 
ence of  their  Lord  which  is  supreme  felicity  itself,  they 
still  await  the  vision  beatific,  "  the  redemption  of  the 
body,"  and  "  the  abundant  entrance  to  the  everlasting 
kingdom." 

Wondrous  comfort  this  to  stricken  souls  and  to  those 
whose  hearts  and  hopes  are  bound  up  in  some  of  these ! 
That  life  which  seems  so  fearful  a  wreck,  sorrow  and 
suffering  having  blasted  it ;  that  life  wherein  the  poor 
tenant  of  a  feeble  frame  has  lingered,  in  the  day  time 
saying,  "  Would  God  it  were  evening ! "  and  through 
the  night  watches,  "  Would  God  it  were  morning ! " 
that  life  a  burden  and  a  paradox,  leading  the  sufferer 
and  the  sharer  of  the  woe  to  wonder  sometimes  whether 
there  be  a  hearer  of  prayer  or  a  throne  of  mercy  at  all, — 
behold !  it  is  not  a  wreck,  but  a  waiting  time.  The 
morning  cometh.  Earth  is  not  the  only  dwelling  place, 
nor  is  it  home ;  there  is  life  to  come.  And  to  those 
who  dwell  in  bondage  through  the  fear  of  death,  how 
strengthening  and  how  emancipating  the  words  of  the 
Master,  could  they  but  take  them  in  !  Our  "  Saviour 
Jesus  Christ  hath  abolished  death,"  and  hath  brought 
life  and  immortality  to  light.  Death  is  but  transition. 
"  I  go  and  come  again."  There  are  apartments  more 
than  one.  To  the  member  of  Christ,  there  is  no  ex- 


350  THE   MANY  MANSIONS. 

tinguishment  of  being.  To  his  consciousness  there  is 
no  interruption,  nor  is  there  break  in  his  existence.  In- 
deed, there  may  be  no  disturbance  of  his  highest  plans 
and  purposes ;  for  his  plan  and  purpose  is  to  fulfil  God's 
will  and  to  honor  his  divine  Redeemer.  This  is  all 
there  is  in  death  to  the  man  of  faith  or  the  child  of 
God.  It  is  but  the  passage  through  an  open  door,  —  a 
door  which  Christ  hath  opened  and  which  no  man  may 
shut  Life  is  here  ;  more  and  better  life  is  there.  Ser- 
vice is  here,  a  blessed  service,  though  the  service  be 
only  —  and  that  the  hardest  one  —  to  stand  and  wait. 
Better  service,  yet  more  blessed,  greater  and  more  tell- 
ing, is  beyond.  The  transition  made,  that  other  room 
gained,  the  vestibule  left  behind  and  the  soul  standing 
amid  the  innumerable  company  within  the  hall  of  Para- 
dise, —  what  ineffable  experiences  of  joy  and  gladness 
must  they  know  who  enter  there!  Pain  and  toil  are 
over.  Weakness  and  weariness  are  of  the  past.  The 
clouds  which  rested  so  heavily  upon  the  mind  are  rolled 
away.  Doubt  is  gone  ;  fear  is  gone.  When  you  speak 
to  the  weary  and  heavy  laden,  beloved,  point  them  to 
this  comfortable  hope.  Strengthen  the  hearts  of  the 
sorrowing  ones  with  the  vision  of  the  Xew  Testament 
prophecy.  When  you  revolve  the  puzzling  problem  of 
human  destiny,  and  surveying  the  generations  after  gen- 
erations who  toil  in  turn  upon  the  surface  of  the  globe, 
loaded  with  poverty,  ignorance,  and  sin,  dull  and 
stolid  in  their  lives  and  their  ways,  you  inquire  where- 
fore do  they  live,  or  doubt  whether  it  be  for  more  than 
gross  and  material  ends,  —  as  to  dig  and  delve  and  labor 
for  the  elect  few  of  higher  position  and  happier  lot. 
Among  your  many  thoughts  concerning  them,  rejoice 
that  there  are  many  mansions  in  the  great  house  of  the 
Father,  and  that  there  is  another  side  of  the  veil  for 


THE  MANY  MANSIONS.  351 

these  as  well  as  for  their  betters  in  circumstance  and 
lot.  Speak  to  them  words  of  brotherly  hope,  words  of 
patience,  and  words  of  trust.  Speak  to  them  the  words  of 
Jesus,  more  full  of  hope  for  them  than  they  ask  or  even 
think.  The  word  for  them  is,  "  Onward ! "  Let  them  hear 
from  your  lips  the  everlasting  Gospel,  and,  believing  it, 
toil  in  the  honest  sweat  of  labor,  suffer  in  calm  obe- 
dience, and  enter  into  rest.  When  you  stand  by  the 
bedside  of  the  dying  Christian,  speak  brave  words  in 
his  ear.  Congratulate  him  as  well-nigh  conqueror. 
When  you  weep  for  those  gone  before,  remember  the 
Communion  of  the  Saints,  and  that  between  this  vesti- 
bule and  that  Paradise  of  clear  delights  and  brighter 
hopes  there  is  but  a  step,  but  a  hand's-breadth,  but 
a  breath. 

2.  Let  us  take  the  words  of  our  text  in  the  other 
understanding  of  them. 

The  Lord  speaks  of  preparing  a  place,  a  special  place, 
for  His  people.  Whatever  be  the  drift  or  the  destiny  of  the 
nations  who  pass  away,  or  what  some  have  called  the 
"  uncovenanted  mercies  "  of  the  supremely  good  and  gra- 
cious God,  there  is  positive  revelation  of  future  blessed- 
ness and  glory  for  the  faithful  people  of  God  and  Christ. 
Christian  hope  is  not  undefined  hope.  The  Easter  sepul- 
chre is  assurance  to  the  Christian  believer.  It  is  the 
one  positive  and  material  fact  upon  which  in  this  earthly 
life  he  can  rest.  It  is  the  seal  supernatural  to  those 
words,  "  I  go  to  prepare  a  place  for  you." 

Then  we  have  the  Scriptural  pictures  of  the  "city 
which  hath  foundations,  whose  builder  and  maker  is 
God."  We  behold  upon  the  canvas  streets  of  gold 
and  jewelled  gates  and  the  nations  of  the  saved,  —  a  city 
whereof  the  Lord  God  Almighty  and  the  Lamb  are  the 
the  Light.  And  here  we  have  mansions  in  plurality, 


352  THE  MANY  MANSIONS. 

abodes  many,  as  it  were,  in  the  very  place  our  Lord 
prepares  for  us. 

Whence  we  gather,  leaving  the  imagination  to  work 
out  its  pleasure,  that  there  will  be  community  of  in- 
terest and  delight,  and  individual  blessedness ;  so  that 
while  in  that  city  of  glory  the  redeemed  people  dwell 
together,  yet  in  that  city  shall  be  all  needful  separate- 
ness  and  variety,  crowning  human  expectation,  glorify- 
ing human  development  in  its  manifold  directions,  and 
rewarding  noble  aspirations  of  whatever  kind.  There 
are  many  mansions,  abiding  places,  homes  and  life  and 
work  and  service  and  blessing  for  all  and  for  each  one,  — 
for  all  varieties  of  task  and  pursuit,  for  all  the  aptitudes 
of  the  people  gathered  there.  There  is,  I  think,  a  feli- 
city in  our  English  word  "  mansion,"  with  its  sugges- 
tion familiar  to  our  minds,  as  a  true  rendering  ci  the 
spirit  of  the  original  word,  although  not  precisely  the 
most  literal  significance.  For  the  entire  spirit  of  our 
Lord's  hope-inspiring  words  is  opposed  to  any  idea  of 
narrowness  or  restrictedness.  The  gifts  of  God  are 
generous.  In  yonder  City,  the  New  Jerusalem,  they 
shall  dwell  in  mansions  of  large  liberty,  not  in  cramped 
tents  of  warfare,  nor  in  huts,  as  if  unwelcome  citizens. 
There  is  a  glorious  liberty  of  the  children  of  God,  an 
enlargement  and  a  freedom  giving  unlimited  scope  to 
capacity  and  energy.  And  adding  to  this  conception 
the  separateness  implied  in  the  plurality,  we  may  pic- 
ture to  ourselves  in  that  city  a  citizenship  composed  of 
all  elect  souls  from  earth,  of  gifts  in  infinite  variety, 
together  delighting  in  God's  presence,  and  blending  their 
voices  together  in  the  eternal  psalm.  Plain  and  un- 
learned men  will  find  place  there,  ripening,  after  the 
toil  and  soil  of  earthly  life,  in  knowledge  and  power  of 
thought  Scholars,  philosophers,  scientists,  will  there 


THE  MANY  MANSIONS.  353 

pursue  their  lofty  aims,  in  God's  light  beholding  light 
more  and  more.  Genius  shall  find  place  there,  and 
peradventure  the  inspirations  which  on  earth  reveal 
themselves  in  highest  art  shall  be  amid  that  glory 
yet  more  potent,  moving  to  new  and  loftier  construc- 
tions of  harmony  and  beauty.  As  well  the  singers  as 
the  players  on  instruments  shall  be  there.  It  must  be 
so,  else  doth  the  Hand  that  created  destroy  some  of  His 
most  precious  handiwork,  and  the  Bestower  bring  to 
nought  the  gifts  He  hath  most  richly  imparted. 

"  Many  mansions  ! "  And  do  we  err  if  in  this  spirit 
interpreting  our  Master's  words  we  discern  a  suggestion 
of  home  life,  and  a  blessedness  the  full  equivalent  of 
domestic  love  and  companionship,  amid  the  delights  of 
that  city  ?  Though,  in  most  true  sense,  in  the  resurrec- 
tion they  marry  not  nor  are  given  in  marriage,  does  it 
follow  from  this  that  relationships  are  broken  up  for- 
ever, and  that  there  is  in  the  future  glory  one  sweeping 
divorce  of  all  that  God  in  the  past  hath  joined  together  ? 
Are  there  not  words  which  speak  of  brothers  and  sisters 
an  hundred-fold,  and  houses  and  lands  ?  And  have 
these  words  no  significance  to  our  human  hearts  ?  Nay, 
with  such  an  utterance  as  this,  "  If  it  were  not  so  I 
would  have  told  you,"  surely  we  need  surrender  neither 
hopes  nor  conceptions  of  the  home  when  we  contem- 
plate the  life  that  is  to  be.  Peradventure,  we  may  not 
prove  our  faith  to  be  true  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  dry 
logician  whose  soul  eschews  sentiment,  and  in  whose 
veins  runs  only  cold  blood.  Yet  the  words  of  Christ 
inspire  us  with  an  assured  trust.  Before  our  eyes  the 
process  of  the  ingathering  is  going  on.  All  ages  are 
culled  for  the  harvest.  The  shock  of  corn,  fully  ripe,  is 
carried  in  by  the  reaper.  The  rich  green  grass  waving 
in  the  breeze  is  mown  down  and  borne  away.  The  sweet 


354  THE   MANY  MANSIONS. 

lilies  are  plucked  from  the  garden,  and  tiniest  buds  are 
carefully  lifted  and  borne  in  to  the  banquet  to  the 
master  of  the  assemblies. 

Dare  we  say  that  with  the  close  of  the  earthly  career 
there  is  absolute  incompleteness,  and  that  in  any  case 
the  predestined  earthly  mission  is  blasted  ?  To  our 
Christian  vision  does  not  the  infant  of  a  few  days  or 
months,  or  the  young  man  dying  in  the  blush  of  his 
opening  manhood,  as  truly  finish  the  appointed  earthly 
course  as  the  aged  Saint  Paul  ?  Has  not  each  one  had 
a  place,  his  own  place  of  influence  and  power,  even  if 
unconscious  of  it,  during  the  days  allotted  to  him  ?  Has 
not  the  very  babe  for  whom  you  mourn  to-day  had  its 
mission  and  its  power,  with  its  sweet  smiles  and  joyous 
dances,  with  its  tears  and  pains  and  infant  innocence, 
to  you  and  to  a  circle  of  loving  ones  around,  lifting 
you  and  purifying  you,  as  it  had  been  a  presence  from 
heaven  lent  to  you  for  a  time  ?  What  a  world  would 
this  be  were  there  not  all  the  varieties  of  age  in  it,  as 
well  as  of  temperament  and  beauty  and  endowment ! 
What  a  world,  were  there  no  venerable  men  and  women 
in  it,  to  be  loved  and  honored,  their  hairs  white  with 
years  and  their  shoulders  bent  with  infirmity,  ripened 
souls,  in  spirit  still  strong,  elastic,  and  buoyant,  looking 
forward  to  the  perpetual  life  !  And  what  should  earth 
be  without  the  boldness  and  dash  and  hot  blood  of  youth, 
or  without  the  gayety  and  romping  of  childhood  ! 

And  is  there  no  outlook  upon  the  life  to  come  whence 
we  can  discern  nothing  more  than  a  dead  level  of  age 
and  absolute  uniformity  of  feature  and  tone  ?  Elimi- 
nate from  your  conception  of  age  its  infirmity,  its  queru- 
lousness,  all  the  elements  which  belong  purely  to  bodily 
exhaustion,  and  preserve  the  factors  of  Christian  faith 
and  Christian  graces,  mature  experience,  ripened  affec- 


THE   MANY  MANSIONS.  355 

tions,  chastened  love,  all  things  that  are  venerable  in  its 
spirit  and  temper,  its  achieved  beauty  and  honor.  From 
middle  age  and  from  youth  prune  away  the  grosser  fea- 
tures and  the  immaturities  and  the  unbalanced  propen- 
sities, and  from  childhood  all  mere  defect  and  lack  of 
development,  so  that  we  discern  the  childhood  and  the 
youth  and  the  manhood  of  Jesus.  Transfer  your  best 
conception  of  a  social  state  to  the  bowers  of  Paradise,  and 
again  to  the  city  of  the  eternal  homes.  Let  the  tran- 
sition through  what  we  call  the  grave  and  gate  of  death 
be  but  a  crystallization  of  our  various  earthly  perfections 
and  relationships,  so  that  the  distinct  ages  of  human  life 
as  known  upon  earth  shall  be  preserved  in  their  distinct 
perfections  and  free  from  every  flaw  in  the  City  of  God. 
We  may  then  hail  those  adorned  with  wisdom  and 
honor  and  righteousness,  the  scarred  veterans  from 
lengthened  conflict,  their  hoary  heads  white  as  snow, 
yet  not  symbols  of  decay,  any  more  than  the  very  head 
and  hairs  of  Him  whom  the  holy  Saint  John  saw  in  his 
apocalyptic  vision,  but  regal  crowns  upon  regal  brows. 
We  may  hail  our  brethren  and  sisters  of  equal  strength 
and  knowledge  with  our  own  ;  we  may  greet  with  lov- 
ing hearts  other  loving  hearts,  stainless,  mature,  and 
mellow  in  that  beauty  which  comes  through  conflict 
and  tribulation  ;  we  may  hear  voices  crying,  Hosanna ! 
with  all  the  sweetness  and  the  power  of  the  perpetual 
youth.  Doth  not  star  differ  from  star  in  that  firma- 
ment of  glory  ? 

"  If  it  were  not  so,  T  would  have  told  you."  And  will 
any  man  forbid  us  ?  Forbid  us,  in  the  face  of  these 
words !  Forbid  us,  in  the  face  of  that  immortal  scene 
upon  the  Transfiguration  Mount  when  a  picture  of  the 
kingdom  was  given,  and  Peter  and  James  and  John 
looked  upon  and  knew  Moses  and  Elias  !  Nay,  let  us 


356  THE   MANY  MANSIONS. 

thank  our  Master  for  the  comforting  words.  And  we, 
bearing  upon  our  shoulders  burdens  of  bereavement 
through  life's  weary  way ;  we,  wounded,  bleeding  daily 
from  unstanched  wounds,  travelling  along  severed 
from  those  with  whom  we  were  bound  up  in  organic 
life,  as  of  one  blood  and  flesh  and  bone  and  soul  and 
spirit,  —  by  God's  own  hand,  let  us  look  forward ;  for  we 
must, —  yea,  God  willing,  we  must  grasp  again  those  pre- 
cious hands,  embrace  again  those  glorified  loved  ones, 
gather  together  again  in  circles  of  love  amid  the  pleasures 
which  are  at  God's  right  hand. 

Mansions,  and  many  mansions  !  Ah,  children  of  God, 
you  will  find  homes  in  that  metropolis  of  God's  elect. 
Fathers  and  mothers  and  husbands  and  wives  and  sons 
and  daughters,  —  all  true  heart-loves  comprehended 
within  the  circle  and  company  of  Christ's  redeemed  flock, 
whatever  the  earthly  names  of  them,  whatever  the  puri- 
fication and  perfectings  of  them,  surely  they  will  be 
known  there.  God  grant  to  you  and  me  that  the 
circles  be  unbroken  ! 

For,  alas !  there  is  another  side  to  the  thought,  and 
there  is  such  a  thing  as  a  human  perverseness  in  sin 
which  verily  frustrates  much  of  the  goodness  of  God, 
and  thrusts  aside  and  away,  ruthlessly,  wilfully,  madly, 
all  the  kindness  of  His  provision,  all  God  would  give  us 
or  do  for  us.  And  well  may  every  one  raise  the  ques- 
tion, have  I  a  mansion  in  that  city,  and  do  I  hasten 
to  the  beatific  vision  of  the  immortal  life  and  to  its 
permanent  endearments,  joys,  and  service  ? 

If  life  beyond  be  but  expansion  of  this  life,  —  the 
unseen  holy  but  the  grand  habitation  beyond  the  veil 
which  separates  the  vestibule  from  it,  so  that  the  chil- 
dren of  God  pass  from  one  into  the  other  as  the  Master 
hath  showed  us,  —  then  what  we  are  to-day  is  a  fore- 


THE  MANY  MANSIONS.  357 

shadowing  of  what  we  shall  be  to-morrow,  after  that 
resurrection  dawning. 

What  is  the  trend  of  the  present  life  ?  This  is  the 
question  answer  to  which  may  cheer  us  or  alarm  us 
according  to  the  terms  of  the  verdict. 

Are  we  —  of  simple  race  indeed,  but  redeemed  by 
God's  own  Son  who  hath  abolished  death  and  brought 
life  and  immortality  to  light  —  more  and  more  obe- 
diently walking  in  God's  ways  to  the  everlasting  king- 
dom; or  are  we  more  and  more  ripening  in  sin  and 
unbelief,  more  and  more  without  Christ  and  without 
God  in  the  world  ? 


VICTORY  THROUGH  TEMPTATION.1 
Blessed  is  the  man  that  endureth  temptation.  — JAMES  i.  12. 

/T\EMPTATION  means  trial.  It  is  the  process  by 
J-  which  the  goodness  or  fitness  or  purity  of  the 
subject  is  tested.  The  incidental  results  of  the  pro- 
cess in  the  case  of  moral  beings  are  commonly  the 
development  and  growth  of  the  good  or  the  evil,  ac- 
cording as  the  trial  is  rightly  or  wrongly  used. 

The  blessing  is  pronounced  upon  the  one  who  en- 
dures. This  is  the  emphatic  word.  Whether  the  trial 
be  by  adversity  and  severe  tribulation,  even  long  con- 
tinued, as  was  the  case  in  early  ages  of  Christianity 
under  persecution,  or  as  in  the  story  of  Job,  the  patient 
man  ;  or  by  prosperity  and  splendid  promise  addressed 
to  pride,  ambition,  or  lust,  such  as  many  have  had  from 
the  time  when  righteous  Lot  pitched  his  tent  toward 
Sodom,  down  to  the  present  age  of  gilded  ease  and 
pomp,  —  the  enduring  one  finds  not  only  divine  appro- 
bation voiced  in  his  own  approving  conscience,  but  also 
growth  in  the  energy  of  goodness.  Manliness,  forti- 
tude, heroism,  faith,  godliness,  are  products  of  the  fire. 
That  same  fire  consumes  and  melts  the  dross.  The 
fittest  survives  the  ordeal.  Man  has  had  the  two  typal 
experiences.  And  the  typal  law  is  verified  in  number- 

1  Preached  Sunday  morning,  March  6,  1887  (the  twenty-first  an- 
niversary of  his  Ordination),  at  St.  James's  Church,  Philadelphia,  and 
repeated  Sunday  evening,  March  20,  at  the  Church  of  the  Incarnation. 
This  sermon  was  the  last  one  written  and  the  last  one  preached. 


VICTORY  THROUGH  TEMPTATION.  359 

less  lives.  After  the  manner  of  the  first  Adam,  men 
yield  and  fall  and  are  cast  out  from  their  remnants  of 
Paradise,  to  feel  their  discomfiture  and  the  shame  of 
their  nakedness  and  frailty,  and  to  suffer  afresh  the 
pangs  of  conscience,  and  to  hide  away  from  the  voice 
of  God  in  the  cool  of  the  day,  as  did  Adam  in  the 
garden.  And  again,  after  the  manner  of  the  second 
Adam,  the  Lord  from  heaven,  and  inspired  by  His 
example,  men  have  been  obedient  and  loyal,  have  en- 
dured temptation,  whether  allurement  to  sin  or  the 
trial  of  grievous  sufferings,  and  have  come  out  from  the 
fires  conquerors,  and  more  than  conquerors,  —  being 
conformed  unto  the  likeness  of  their  divine  Master 
and  Head. 

Now,  it  is  this  victory  through  tribulation  or  trial 
which  is  the  blessing  of  which  Saint  James  writes. 
And  this  morning  we  will  ask  two  questions  concern- 
ing it ;  namely,  — 

1.  How  is  such  blessing  to  be  assured  to  us  in  our 
manifold  temptations  ?  and  — 

2.  How  may  we  recover   ourselves   in  any  case  of 
failure  ? 

To  answer  the  first  of  these  questions,  we  have  but 
to  glance  at  our  familiar  laws  of  habit  in  the  formation 
of  character  for  our  starting  point.  And  then,  recog- 
nizing that  our  conflict  is  one  of  gravest  importance  as 
'related  to  the  immortal  life,  and  that  among  the  ele- 
ments against  us  are  our  own  moral  weaknesses  and  a 
potent  spiritual  enemy,  we  are  to  remember  the  divine 
strength  promised  to  those  who  seek  it,  giving  grace 
and  power  to  prevail,  even  to  the  weak  and  fallen. 

The  habit  law  is  strong.  Every  time  we  do  an  ac- 
customed thing  the  more  likely  we  are  to  do  it  again, 
and  to  do  it  perpetually  under  the  recurring  favorable 


360  VICTORY  THROUGH  TEMPTATION. 

circumstances,  and  to  do  it  more  easily  and  indeed  more 
unconsciously.  Men  educate  their  fingers  to  the  most 
delicate  and  intricate  work.  Habit  outruns  volition, 
and  the  deft  workman  accomplishes  his  task  scarcely 
knowing  himself  how,  or  even  that  he  is  doing  it.  We 
go  through  many  good  and  wholesome  works  almost 
mechanically,  and  without  effort,  by  this  law.  A  thou- 
sand unconscious  benedictions  radiate  from  the  face 
and  the  hands  of  the  hospital  nurse  or  the  physician, 
—  electric  emanations  from  the  well-stored  battery  of 
habitual  benevolence.  Many  sinners  take  no  notice  of 
their  commonest  sins.  Profane  men  are  often  astonished 
to  learn  that  they  use  profane  language  freely,  indeed 
all  the  time.  They  neither  notice  their  own  profanities 
nor  those  of  others.  The  man  of  prayer  prays  almost 
as  unconsciously.  His  spirit's  voice  rises  to  God  along 
the  streets  and  amid  his  busiest  hours,  as  naturally  and 
spontaneously  as  the  chest  heaves  for  breathing. 

So  under  special  trial  or  repeated  temptation,  the 
habit  of  obedience  to  God's  will  and  to  the  law  of 
conscience  grows.  Men  and  women  learn  to  suffer 
and  to  trust  and  to  say,  "  Thy  will  be  done,  0  Father  ! " 
as  easily  as  they  sleep  and  wake  and  greet  those  who 
meet  them  with  loving  smiles.  And  they  learn  to  say, 
"  nay,"  to  the  tempter,  and  to  bid  Satan  get  away  from 
them,  whatever  be  the  form  or  the  no  form  which 
Satan  assumes,  —  whether  to  the  enticer  in  meretricious 
array,  or  in  habiliments  of  the  philosopher,  or  to  the 
unbidden  thought  of  evil,  or  to  the  suddenly  uprising 
spirit  of  selfish  desire. 

In  the  conflict  between  ourselves  and  temptation, 
everything  depends  upon  the  way  wherein  we  meet  the 
trial,  and  our  action  in  each  successive  assault  or  expe- 
rience. We  may  surrender  to  the  enemy.  Surrender 


VICTORY  THROUGH  TEMPTATION.  361 

is  likely  to  be  the  result  of  the  next  encounter,  and 
again  of  the  next.  No  one  becomes  a  violent  person, 
a  scold  or  termagant,  a  destroyer  of  life  or  property,  at 
a  single  step.  There  is  growth  into  malefactorship 
from  the  simplicity  and  purity  of  childhood.  The  story 
of  the  forger,  or  the  absconding  robber  of  a  trust 
company,  is  no  novel  story.  The  man  who  hides  in 
refuge  to-day  in  Canada,  or  beyond  the  seas,  began  his 
career  of  fraud  in  some  very  insignificant  way,  and 
awaked  to  know  himself  a  criminal,  only  after  many  a 
compromise  with  conscience,  and  many  a  sleeping 
potion  administered  to  put  conscience  into  lethargy. 
The  sinner  whose  sins  lie  in  the  grosser  and  more  sen- 
sual vices  fell  into  the  trough  of  that  filthy  sea,  but 
he  was  swimming  in  its  smoother  waters  first  for  pas- 
time, assured  that  he  would  not  be  carried  beyond  his 
depth  or  the  lines  of  safe  sport. 

An  ethical  fallacy  may  be  framed  very  easily,  and  it 
requires  no  great  ingenuity  of  logic  to  do  it.  Men 
plead  that  they  are  delivered  to  do  their  sins,  and 
from  the  natural  infirmity  or  the  strength  of  lawless 
desire  construct  their  syllogisms  to  neutralize  the  force 
of  moral  law.  They  throw  the  blame  upon  their 
Maker,  and  rush  into  abominations.  It  is  simply  amaz- 
ing how  finely  the  hairs  may  be  split  and  what  exquis- 
ite distinctions  may  be  made,  even  by  minds  not  the 
keenest,  when  it  becomes  convenient  or  delightsome  to 
the  eyes  to  apologize  for  a  sin  which  has  been  wrought, 
and  so,  of  consequence,  to  prepare  the  way  for  its  repe- 
tition or  a  greater  sin  at  renewed  convenience.  This  is 
one  way  of  acting  under  temptation. 

Alas,  brethren,  how  common  a  way  it  is  among  us  in 
this  evil  world !  How  many  men  and  women  there  are 
to-day  (and  perhaps  there  are  some  in  this  congrega- 


362  VICTORY  THROUGH  TEMPTATION. 

tion)  in  high  worldly  position  and  social  standing,  who 
know  that  they  dare  not  face  God's  judgment,  and 
would  not  venture  to  face  a  keen  human  inquisition, 
who  dare  not  even  examine  themselves  or  scrutinize 
their  own  lives,  yet  who  live  in  a  sublime  contentment 
amid  sin,  indulging  in  sin  and  in  gross  sin,  undisturbed 
by  conscience,  saying  their  prayers  day  and  night,  and 
not  even  putting  away  their  sins  when  coming  to  the 
Lord's  own  Table.  They  love  their  sins.  The  pleas- 
ures of  sin  are  keen.  The  stolen  waters  are  a  delight. 
Such  is  the  result  and  the  mastery  of  habit  and  of 
yielding  to  the  tempter  under  the  gilded  and  fascinat- 
ing spell.  All  this  we  may  do,  and  being  tempted 
we  fall 

Or  we  may  resist  temptation.  And  to  resist  it  is  to 
endure  and  remain  faithful,  and  to  gain  reward  of 
grace  and  strength  and  virtue.  Scripture  counsels  on 
this  subject  are  gathered  up  in  that  word,  "resist;" 
Saint  Peter  uses  it, — "resist"  the  devil  and  he  will  flee 
from  you !  The  moral  and  spiritual  muscle  grows  by 
resisting.  The  athlete  with  knotted  muscles,  lifting 
the  load  of  Atlas,  or  shouldering  the  lion  while  with 
swift  steps  he  crosses  the  arena,  was  once  a  puny  strip- 
ling. Self-discipline  and  resistance  of  evil  solicitation 
—  renewed  determination  to  bear  what  burden  comes, 
and  to  honor  God  in  it  —  grows  into  grander  obedience 
and  supreme  moral  elevation.  The  Joseph  who  was 
prince  of  Egypt  in  that  almost  fabulous  age  of  civili- 
zation and  grandeur  was  the  Joseph  who  to  the  con- 
summate artifice  of  the  Egyptian  temptress  said,  "  How 
can  I  do  this  wickedness  and  sin  against  God  ! "  The 
Moses  who  stands  peerless  among  the  men  of  the  an- 
cient world,  and  whose  ethics  and  jurisprudence  are  the 
foundations  of  all  law  since  his  day,  was  the  Moses 


VICTORY  THROUGH  TEMPTATION.  363 

who  refused  to  be  son  of  Pharaoh's  daughter,  and  chose 
the  afflictions  of  Jehovah's  people  rather  than  the  treas- 
ures of  Egypt,  though  he  was  himself  learned  in  all  the 
wisdom  of  the  realm,  and  potent  in  their  priesthood. 

How  shall  we  overcome  and  find  the  blessedness  of 
them  who  endure  ?  Look  upon  these  men  of  the  past. 
And  look  again  upon  Him  who  suffered  being  tempted, 
and  the  story  of  whose  first  great  conflict  with  the 
tempter  comes  so  freshly  to  us  in  the  Lent  season. 
The  temptation  came  to  our  Lord,  brethren,  in  some 
respects,  as  it  comes  to  every  man,  —  namely,  along  the 
lines  of  His  appointed  career.  And  it  was  addressed  to 
His  nature  in  ways  so  that  it  is  well  written,  "  He  was 
tempted  like  as  we  are,"  and  was,  what  we  are  not 
therein,  without  sin.  He  teaches  us  how  to  be  tempted 
and  not  sin. 

I  say  it  came  to  Jesus  as  to  other  men,  along  the 
lines  of  His  life,  and  in  manner  adapted  to  Him,  He 
being  what  He  was.  The  tempter,  —  for  surely  if  we 
had  not  Scripture  for  it,  we  should  naturally  look  for  a 
manager  of  temptation  methods,  so  wonderfully  are 
they  fitted  as  individual  traps,  —  the  tempter  never 
makes  misfits  in  the  allurements  or  arguments  he 
brings.  It  is  not  his  way  to  offer  pearls  to  swine ;  for 
he  knows  that  swine  prefer  other  things  to  pearls.  Nor 
does  he  bring  ill-odorous  refuse  to  the  nostrils  of  refine- 
ment and  aesthetic  culture.  There  is  no  more  subtle 
perfumer  than  the  devil,  and  it  is  well  for  us  that  we 
be  not  ignorant  of  his  devices.  Satan  tried  the  supreme 
Man  as  he  tried  the  first  Adam,  with  appeal  to  his 
appetite.  The  first  Adam  was  full  to  satiety,  yet  he 
ate  the  fruit.  The  second  Adam  was  an  hungered 
after  His  forty  days  of  fasting,  and  why  might  He  not 
convert  those  stones  into  bread  and  eat  for  His  refresh- 


364  VICTORY  THROUGH  TEMPTATION. 

ment  ?  Yea,  why  not  ?  To  the  first  Adam  the  offer 
was  made  of  wondrous  new  knowledge  and  potency 
through  the  gateway  of  the  forbidden. 

To  the  Son  of  God  in  the  wilderness,  Satan  made  no 
appeal  addressing  itself  to  latent  selfishness  or  desire 
of  personal  enlargement  in  any  degree  whatever.  It 
was  for  His  work's  sake,  for  humanity's  sake,  for  redemp- 
tion's sake,  for  the  kingdom's  sake,  that  He  might  the 
more  surely  and  speedily  plant  His  throne  upon  the 
earth,  and  accomplish  His  great  service  for  Israel  and 
for  man,  that  the  tempter  pretended  to  advise  Him. 
And  it  required  more  than  an  ordinary  penetration  at 
that  day  to  say  why  the  Son  of  God  might  not  assuage 
the  pangs  of  hunger  by  His  miracle-working  power,  or 
why  He  might  not  have  made  easy  conquest  of  the  na- 
tion and  the  world  by  the  adoption  of  the  policy  Satan 
proposed  amid  the  strange  phantasmagoria  wherewith 
he  assailed  the  Lord.  But  the  divine  Man  and  Exam- 
ple resisted.  He  entered  into  no  arguments.  He  put 
the  word  of  God  against  the  word  of  evil  policy.  He 
said  to  Satan,  "Get  thee  hence!"  and  then  the  devil  left 
Him.  And  this  same  adhesion  to  the  divine  word,  and 
obedience  to  divine  will,  and  conformity  to  the  divine 
plan  and  end  wherewith  He  had  undertaken  His  earthly 
work,  distinguished  the  career  of  our  Master  to  the  end. 
More  than  once  was  He  an  hungered.  More  than  once 
must  His  heart  have  sunk,  and  His  patience  been  taxed, 
as  He  saw  the  unbelief  and  the  hostility  it  engendered ; 
all  the  time  knowing  what  power  was  in  Him,  and  how 
legions  of  angels  were  waiting  ever,  in  silent  and  un- 
seen array,  to  do  His  bidding.  Yet  even  through  Geth- 
semane  He  endured,  and  said,  "  Not  my  will,  but  Thine 
be  done ; "  and  even  on  the  cross,  though  the  cup  of  the 
soldier  He  would  not  drink  for  relief,  yet  the  cup  which 


VICTOEY  THROUGH  TEMPTATION.  365 

the  Father  had  mixed  for  Him,  that  cup  He  drank  to 
its  very  dregs,  triumphant  Prince  of  endurance  and  of 
suffering,  vanquishing  the  enemy  even  in  that  entire  life 
of  mortal  trial.  He  resisted  not.  He  swerved  not.  He 
obeyed  even  unto  death.  So  He  overcame,  and  so 
He  bids  His  people  overcome,  that  they  may  share  His 
throne.  Blessed  is  the  man  that  endureth  temptation, 
trial  When  he  is  tried,  —  when  the  trial  is  finished  and 
he  is  approved, — he  shall  receive  the  crown  of  life. 

But  suppose  we  fail  in  our  trials,  what  shall  we  do, 
and  how  may  we  recover  ourselves  ? 

Eight  upon  the  trial  wherein  we  have  been  found 
wanting,  brethren,  there  comes  another  trial,  thank  God, 
and  by  His  grace,  —  and  this  trial,  instantaneously  pre- 
sented, simply  asks  the  question  whether  we  will  stay 
prostrate  in  our  fall,  and  go  from  bad  to  worse,  or 
whether  we  will  rise  up  again  and  act  like  true  men, 
despite  our  failure,  and  serve  God  better  for  the  loss 
and  pain  we  have  had. 

A  Judas  may  go  and  hang  himself.  It  were  better 
for  that  man  if  he  had  not  been  born,  who  says,  I  have 
fallen,  and  I  will  now  go  to  other  sin,  and  add  sin  to 
sin.  It  is  madness  to  revenge  oneself  on  God  and  man 
in  such  way. 

David,  arrested  by  the  prophet  Nathan,  poured  forth 
his  contrition  in  the  immortal  Miserere,  and  was  a  new 
man, — that  man  after  God's  own  heart,  faithful  thence- 
forth. Saint  Peter  fell ;  but  he  who  was  craven  before 
the  maiden  and  the  servants  and  the  officers  became  the 
boldest  and  the  most  courageous  of  men,  in  his  apos- 
tolic zeal  unto  his  own  martyrdom ;  so  mighty  the  re- 
pentance, the  recoil,  and  the  rehabilitation  when  the 
Lord  whom  he  denied  looked  upon  him,  and  gave  him  the 
new  chance,  whether  to  abide  in  Him  or  to  forsake  Him. 


366  VICTORY  THROUGH  TEMPTATION. 

Fallen  once,  vanquished  once,  —  ay  twice,  ay  thrice, 
ay  seven  times,  or  seventy  times  seven,  —  take  strong 
stand,  and,  with  your  eyes  opened  to  your  weakness  and 
your  sin,  break  with  it,  and  gird  on  your  sword  anew. 
There  are  two  things  to  be  done  now.  One  is  to  cease 
thinking  that  you  are  strong  enough  yourself  to  cope 
with  your  own  weakness  or  your  temptation.  Wisdom 
begins  in  modesty  nowhere  more  surely  than  in  moral 
conflict.  God's  help  is  our  reliance  more  than  self- 
reliance.  At  any  rate,  self-reliance  without  God-reliance 
never  gains  the  upper  hand,  although  it  is  useful  under 
God-reliance  for  many  an  achievement  beside.  Seek, 
then,  divine  help,  and  say,  "  God  helping  me ! " 

Then  put  body  and  soul  into  the  fight ;  and  let  your 
body  be  servant  and  not  master  in  the  fight.  Shut  the 
eye  and  turn  away  the  head  by  forcible  volition  from 
the  thing  that  solicits  the  evil  which  is  in  you.  Look 
not  at  the  unchaste  image.  Thrust  into  the  fire  the  pol- 
luting page.  If  there  slumbers  within  you  the  thirst 
for  that  which  robs  you  of  all  discretion  and  of  man- 
hood, dash  to  the  ground  the  cup  which  the  fairest  offers 
you.  Defy  social  custom,  and,  like  some  brave  men, 
turn  over  your  glass  upon  the  table,  and  suffer  not  wine 
to  come  near  your  lip.  Fly  away  from  the  man  or  the 
woman  or  the  open  vault  that  tempts  you.  There  is 
virile  and  brave  courage  in  that  cowardice  which  is 
afraid  of  wrong-doing  and  is  not  afraid  to  run  away 
from  it.  If  yours  be  lifelong  temptation  to  self-indul- 
gence and  waste,  to  simple  ease  and  pampering,  rush, 
by  God's  help,  into  work  for  good.  Make  the  body 
work,  and  keep  it  in  subjection.  Better  be  master  in 
ascetic  life,  than  the  sporting  butterfly  or  the  lazy  ser- 
pent on  this  earth  amid  eternities.  He  who  taught  man 
to  pray,  "  Lead  us  not  into  temptation,"  has  taught  us 


VICTORY  THROUGH  TEMPTATION.  367 

how  to  make  temptation  a  stimulus  to  good,  and  that  in 
the  surmounting  of  it  is  man's  glory. 

Then  finally  remember  for  our  comfort,  brethren,  that 
temptation  is  not  itself  sin.  Else  Saint  James  had  not 
written,  "  Count  it  all  joy  when  ye  fall  into  divers  temp- 
tations." The  Lord  was  tempted,  but  He  sinned  not. 
The  distinction  is  real.  The  question  of  sin  or  inno- 
cence turns  upon  the  response  we  make.  The  hammer 
strikes  the  wheels  under  the  railway  car,  and  the  ring 
tells  whether  the  wheels  are  sound  or  broken.  The 
fault  lies  not  in  the  hammer,  nor  in  him  who  wields  it. 
Those  strange  and  evil  suggestions  floating  into  our  ears 
sometimes,  or  mysteriously  arising  from  our  disordered 
flesh  and  nerve  centres,  are  not  sins.  That  they  have 
so  much  power  with  us,  and  so  catch  us  unawares,  may 
show  of  what  frail  substance  we  are ;  but  there  is  no 
sin  until  we  accept  and  harbor  them.  The  pains  of  the 
sufferer,  and  the  groanings  and  the  prayer  that  some 
relief  may  come,  are  not  sins ;  but  to  curse  God  is  to 
die.  To  submit  and  say,  "  If  it  be  possible  let  this  cup 
pass  from  me,  nevertheless  Thy  will  be  done,"  that  is 
to  transform  them  all  into  gifts  of  God's  love,  and  to 
triumph  as  Jesus  did.  To  live  smoothly  and  without 
conflict,  as  in  some  favored  retreat,  or  in  a  convent  cell, 
may  be,  but  is  not  always,  serene  calm.  But  it  is 
greater  and  nobler  to  battle  amid  the  world,  and  to 
fight  one's  predestined  way  under  darts  of  Satan  and 
beneath  the  hail  of  his  batteries,  even  to  be  a  scarred 
and  war-worn  veteran,  hero  of  thousands  of  fights,  a 
valiant  soldier  of  God  and  of  Christ !  Endure !  Yield 
not!  To-day  the  warfare  of  the  Cross!  To-morrow 
the  Crown!  Eighteousness,  peace,  and  glory  for 
evermore ! 

THE   END. 


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